AS/ADHD - slow psychomotor processing speed?

Post Reply New Topic

I'm in the process of getting set up for neuropsych testing (of which, AS will be one of the things they test for). A few years ago I got an IQ test to check for learning disabilities. I did really well on most things, but my psychomotor processing skill percentile was fairly low compared to everything else.

I didn't really think about it much at the time (this was 2008) but now that I understand more about AS and ADHD (which I'm already diagnosed with), I'm wondering if that's typical. We can get overwhelmed easier and our brains are certainly wired differently. Is it possible it manifests itself in an inability to process things as quickly and clearly as an NT, despite being of average or above average intelligence?

On a related note, anyone know how to improve psychomotor processing speed? Video games? Please say video games!

my processing speed was extremely low when i last got testing in high school (though i was also depressed at the time so that can lower the test results but not as extremely low as mine was depression may have been a facter but definatly not the whole story.

My processing speed is very low. Apparently it is very noticeable when I am talking to someone. It takes me a second or so to reply in a conversation. It makes conversation in groups difficult. By the time I realize there is a gap for me to say something it is too late.

Video games bore me senseless but I have played around with radio control models most of my life. It has definitely helped my coordination and fine motor skills but I don't think it has helped my reaction speed any. I have built up a set of reflex reactions to get out of trouble and I can be quite fast with them. However as soon as I get into a situation where I have to think about what I am doing I get problems with delay again.

I don't know what's the exact difference between psychomotor processing speed and processing speed, but it seems that the Wechsler subtest Digit Symbol Coding is "predominantly a test of psychomotor processing speed", says one source.

In Wechsler-IV, the Processing Speed Index (PSI) consists of two subtests, the Digit Symbol Coding (the same as the above) and Symbol Search.

PSI is one of the four sub-indexes of Wechsler Full-Scale IQ (FSIQ), which is often the lowest for people with an ASD:
Essentials of WISC-IV assessment, second edition:
http://books.google.hu/books?id=taaLZsy ... &q&f=false
Mean WISC-IV scores for children with Autistic Disorder and Asperger’s Disorder (Graph on page 247)

(VCI - Verbal Comprehension Index, PRI - Perception Reasoning Index, WMI - Working Memory Index, PSI - Processing Speed Index)

The (supposed) relative unimportance of PSI:
Three Practice Parameters for Interpreting Intelligence Test Part Scores Psychological Assessment Research Team University of Georgia (pages 65-67):
http://neurociencias.udea.edu.co/revist ... num1_9.pdf

Does this explain why I suck at sports?

Sounds more like dyspraxia. Dyspraxia actually is the delay between sending a signal to brain and body to move an arm, leg, fingers, etc. Poor motor skills is actually a part of AS and can be a part of ADHD too.

I think in ADHD we process so much at once that we have a delay in reaction timing. A lot of people think this is a good thing but we make a lot of mistakes, much go over things and get ourselves into all sorts of malarky. Even having to write the word 'malarky' because you can't think of a batter word because it takes too much effort. I don't know if it's faster processing or slower processing but too much processing. That's my theory anyway. It depends if you have Inattentive type. I think the processing is the same but the reaction is to block out instead of become stimulated or interested. I dunno, I have the combined type.

Video games might work but so can swimming, or doing physical exercises. I've got rotten coordination. I'm surprised I can still stand up and walk straight.