Processing Speed

Information processing speed is a complex process that includes how quickly a person integrates new information, retrieves information from memory, and performs certain tasks. It can be visual, verbal, or motoric (or include all three), and it can be content-specific (reading, writing, motor, math), although most individuals with processing speed deficits will often show problems across a number of areas. Put succinctly, processing speed is the time required to perform an intellectual task or the amount of work that can be completed within a certain period. This entry examines types of processing speed, the biology of processing speed, the assessment of processing speed deficits, and processing speed in the context of learning and developmental disorders.