What is Information Processing?
Sequential/Rational Processing
Conceptual/Holistic Processing
Books to read that contain material on information processing:
Identification of Learning Disabilities: Research to Policy
edited by Renee Bradley, Louis C. Danielson, Daniel P. Hallahan - Education - 2002 - 856 pages
Page 573 - Activities that are initially accomplished through controlled processing activities
... of processes and capacities in children with learning disabilities. ...
Specific Learning Disabilities and Difficulties in Children and Adolescents: Psychological...
edited by Alan S Kaufman, Nadeen L Kaufman - Psychology - 2001 - 467 pages
Page 196 - Integration of complex information processing For normal cognitive ... Integration of
the visual and auditory information processing systems (and ...
Language & Communication in People With Learning Disabilities
by Michael Beveridge, Gina Conti-Ramsden - Language Arts & Disciplines - 1997 - 320 pages
Page 89 - ... including measures of incidental learning, concept usage and matching, ...
valid' than information processing tasks (eg discrimination learning of ...
Colleges for Students With Learning Disabilities Or Add
by Peterson's Guides - Study Aids - 2003 - 650 pages
Page 460 - Testing for auditory processing, intelligence, learning strategies, ...
of intellectual ability, information processing, and academic achievement. ...
Interventions for Students With Learning Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis of Treatment Outcomes
by H Lee Swanson - Education - 1999 - 714 pages
Page 144 - 144 INTERVENTIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES Aptitude as a Continuum
... Cognitive processing Information-processing models of cognition guided ...
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What is Information Processing?
Sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch are all ways the body collects information. But the act of using those senses is only the first step towards being able to use the data they've collected. The information the body collects is sent
to the brain which recognizes it, understands it, responds to it and stores it; repeating this pattern hundreds and even thousands of times each day. Information processing makes it possible for a person to complete all the tasks that
are required in a given day, from brushing teeth to grocery shopping to watching TV.
While there are several different and often overlapping types of information processing, two important groups are:
Visual Processing
Visual Discrimination
Visual Sequencing
Visual Memory
Visual Motor Processing
Visual Closure
Spatial Relationships
and
Auditory Processing
Auditory Discrimination
Auditory Memory
Auditory Sequencing
What is an Information Processing Disorder?
An information processing disorder is a deficiency in a person's ability to effectively use the information the senses have gathered. It is NOT the result of hearing loss, impaired vision, an attention deficit disorder or any kind of
intellectual or cognitive deficit.
Though information processing disorders are often not named as specific types of learning disabilities, they are seen in many individuals with learning disabilities and can often help explain why a person is having trouble with
learning and performance. The inability to process information efficiently can lead to frustration, low self-esteem and social withdrawal, especially with speech/language impairments.
Many people experience problems with learning and behavior occasionally, but if a person consistently displays difficulties with these tasks over time, testing for information processing disorders by trained professionals should be
considered.
Sequential/Rational processing appears to be the main filing system in the brain. It involves organizing and memorizing specific bits of information including facts, figures and formulas. This is very
much like a computer organizes and stores information. How well does a student remember details (like names, addresses, facts, etc.)? How organized are they?
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Sequential/Rational processing includes:
Short-term memory for details; long-term retrieval of details
fine-motor coordination
finding the words you want to say or write
organization of your thoughts and materials
writing mechanics (spelling, punctuation)
reading speed/sounding out new words
attention to details
putting words and thoughts in order
Students experiencing a general Sequential/Rational processing disability often have most learning difficulties in the areas of basic reading, math computation, expressive language, and writing mechanics. Specific difficulties may
include:
- handwriting
speed/clarity
letter reversals
spelling/mechanics
letters in wrong sequence (order)
- reading
decoding (sounding out words)
speed/fluency
remembering details
attention/concentration
- math
remembering formulas/steps
- communication
finding words for verbal or written expression
- general
planning lengthy assignments
remembering details
paying attention - easily distracted by surroundings
remembering names of people or objects
following specific directions
Conceptual/Holistic Processing
Conceptual/Holistic processing involves looking for "the big picture", overall patterns and underlying concepts for use in higher-order thinking, creating, and reasoning. Conceptual/holistic filing is like throwing things into boxes
with very general labels.
Conceptual/Holistic (right-brain) processing includes:
memory for general themes or ideas
reasoning
spatial awareness
general knowledge
inferential thinking
estimation/approximation
conceptual understanding
creativity/inventiveness
reading comprehension
use of context
rhythm
music
art
Students experiencing a general conceptual/holistic processing disability often perform quite well during early school years but later experience much difficulty with reading comprehension, math reasoning, and creative writing.
Specific difficulties may include:
- reading
understanding irony, inferences, sarcasm
general comprehension
- math
generalizing to new situations
story problems
- written language
creative writing
- communication
general language comprehension
understanding humor
- general
global/general awareness
attention - may focus too much on a specific area
Processing Speed
Processing Speed refers to how fast information travels through the brain. All LD students experience some processing speed difficulty when required to process information through their weakest processing "channel" or "modality". But
for other LD students, a general weakness in processing speed causes difficulty in all processing areas.
It is like having the brain work at 40 miles per hour when the rest of the world (and all the information) is going 55 miles per hour. Such students just can't keep up.
Processing Speed affects:
short-term memory (with time pressure)
long-term retrieval (with time pressure)
talking speed, word-finding
writing speed
reading speed
attention
reasoning (with time pressure)
general response speed
Students experiencing a general Processing Speed disability often have learning difficulties in all academic areas due to their inability to process all types of information quickly. Specific difficulties may include:
- reading
reading speed
ability to stay focused while reading
- math
completing a series of problems
- written language
writing speed
mechanics
clarity (with time pressure)
- communication
delays in responding
slow, deliberate speech
word-finding difficulties
- general
coping with implied or expressed time pressures
always "a step behind"
difficulty maintaining attention to tasks
exceeding time limits during tests
trouble with social pressures to perform "faster"
Attention Skills
Attention skills refer to how well a student is able to stay focused on activities, especially in the classroom. A student's ability to maintain attention to tasks clearly impacts all types of learning and information processing to
some extent. However, research and observations have found the highest correlation between attention and sequential/rational information processing. In fact, students with attention deficit disorders frequently demonstrate the same
learning difficulties as students with sequential processing weakness.
Attention skills include:
ability to stay focused on tasks
short-term memory for details
impulse control/coordination
word-finding skills
organization of thoughts and materials
writing mechanics (spelling, punctuation)
ability to stay focused on reading material
attention to details
Students experiencing general Attention difficulties often have most learning problems in the areas of basic reading, math computation, expressive language, and writing mechanics because they aren't able to attend to the details of
these areas. Specific difficulties may include:
- handwriting
speed/clarity
letter reversals
spelling/mechanics
letters in wrong sequence (order)
- reading
decoding (sounding out words)
speed/fluency - skipping words or lines
remembering details
attention/concentration
- math
remembering formulas/steps
- communication
finding words for verbal or written expression