Children with ADHD of a slow cognitive type, what is it?
Increasingly we hear about children with ADHD of slow cognitive type, and many parents ask ourselves, and what is this? Is it the same as ADHD? Is it a different disorder? Slow Cognitive Time (TCL) is a disorder that has been commonly associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder inattent
Increasingly we hear about children with ADHD of slow cognitive type, and many parents ask ourselves, and what is this? Is it the same as ADHD? Is it a different disorder?
Slow Cognitive Time (TCL) is a disorder that has been commonly associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder inattentive subtype (ADHD, or ADHD), but nowadays it tends to be thought of as a different disorder. These are disorders that are first cousins.
Slow cognitive type or hypoactivity in childhood
Remember that within children with ADHD, we can differentiate between:
- Combined type: that is, the two symptoms are given, inattention and impulsivity-hyperactivity.
- Predominant hyperactive / impulsive type: There is impulsivity - hyperactivity but not inattention. (ADHD hyperactive subtype).
- Predominant type with lack of attention: there is inattention but there is no impulsivity or hyperactivity. (TDAHI subtype inattentive, what we know as TDA and so we will name it from now on)
It is to this last one that we are going to refer and that it has been recently renamed as Cognitive Time Slow, TCL, and they form it between 30% and 50% of the cases classified as ADD, (attention deficit disorders), that is, it would be a different disorder, (although in this issue there is still debate about whether it is another type of ADHD or is a different disorder).
Although children with ADHD of inattentive type, and children with slow cognitive type ADHD (TCL) can be confused, the symptoms or signs that children with LCT have do not have to do with an attentional problem, but with a slow pace in general. That is, if they get distracted, it is not because of a problem of attention, but they are directly in another world.
Symptoms of children with ADHD of slow cognitive type
This group of children, who do not fit into any of the 3 types of ADHD, are the ones that can fit into the TCL and are characterized by
- Excessive daydreaming, they seem to daydream ...
- Mental confusion.
- They transmit a feeling of "being in the clouds".
- Sleepy, not very active, lacking in energy.
- Behavior and slow thinking.
- Slower learning pace.
That is to say, the concept of children of "slow cognitive time" refers to a cognitive-emotional style, it would be like a way of being of these children, slow for everything. They would be the opposite of the children with impulsive or hyperactive ADHD, they are children "in slow motion".
Difference between children with ADHD and children with a slow cognitive type
Some differences between children with inattentive ADHD (ADHD) and children with slow cognitive time (TCL) are:
- TDA: has difficulty planning tasks , they make many mistakes because they do not focus attention on the task, difficulties of inhibition of behavior, (they act before thinking about what to do). The child withTCL: there are no difficulties in planning tasks, solving logical problems and there is cognitive flexibility but it takes an excessive amount of time to complete tasks, (they do not make mistakes, and ADD makes mistakes due to lack of attention), there are no problems of behavior inhibition, they think the answers, but they need more time.
- A child with ADD is not necessarily a slow child performing tasks, while the child with slow Cognitive Time is slow for everything, even for the tasks that he likes and motivates him (eating, showering ...)
- When there is slowness in the tasks, in the ADT this occurs due to its limited ability to inhibit distractors, and in the TCL, due to its slowness in execution itself.
They are children who, like children with ADHD, dyslexia, or any other difficulty in development or learning, need adjustments in the classroom and school, and an environment that understands and understands them, in which they are not penalized for their difficulties and their achievements and their strengths and positive qualities are strongly reinforced.
If we suspect that our child may be a child with slow Cognitive Time, we should give him time, patience, and consult a professional (neurologist, educational psychologist ...) to inform us and give us guidelines on how to educate and act with our child in home and at school.
