Ellen Braaten, PhD, is Director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP) at Massachusetts General Hospital and Assistant Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School. The coauthor of Straight Talk about Psychological Testing for Kids, Dr. Braaten lives with her family in Boston. Brian Willoughby, PhD, is a Staff Psychologist at LEAP and a faculty member at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Willoughby specializes in neuropsychological assessments of children and adolescents with learning, developmental, and emotional concerns. He is married and lives in Boston.
Superb, immensely helpful, authoritative; written with clarity, insight, and pizzazz. Highly recommended. --Edward Hallowell, MD, coauthor of Driven to Distraction Finally, a book that tackles processing speed head on! After my son was diagnosed with slow processing speed, I began searching for answers. This is the first book that focuses on all the aspects of slow processing speed: home life, school life, and the emotional toll. Just like my son, the children described in this book all want to work hard and do well, but something is blocking them from thriving. The authors guide you to make a consistent, targeted plan to help your child live up to his or her potential. As a teacher, this book is also helping me understand and address learning issues that I often see in the classroom. --Sarah R., parent If you picture child development as a marathon, life for kids with processing speed issues is more like a steeplechase, with barriers and obstacles that have enormous implications for learning and social and emotional development. This book offers parents an extraordinary gift of knowledge and wisdom to aid in recognizing, understanding, and addressing the challenges of slow processing speed. Drs. Braaten and Willoughby help you accommodate your child's needs and promote essential skills so he or she can thrive. --Jerrold F. Rosenbaum, MD, Chief of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital; Stanley Cobb Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School Drs. Braaten and Willoughby do an exceptional job of deconstructing the complex construct of processing speed. Through examples, articulate explanations of testing results, and clear descriptions of brain processes, this book provides a road map for parents. --Timothy E. Wilens, MD, author of Straight Talk about Psychiatric Medications for Kids Parents in our neurodevelopmental clinic often ask, 'If my kid is so smart, why is he so slow?' Finally, there is a book to help parents understand processing speed and its impact on learning and behavior. Drs. Braaten and Willoughby explain the unique way your child engages with the world and discuss ways to overcome challenges, rather than simply offering labels. I will keep a copy of this book on my desk and add it to the short list of parenting books I unconditionally recommend. --Sam Goldstein, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah School of Medicine; Clinical Director, Neurology, Learning, and Behavior Center, Salt Lake City