Indispensable People
Making the Gospel Accessible to people of ALL abilities so that they may know Christ, grow in Him, and serve Him with the gifts He has given them.
Indispensable People
Supporting Believers with Differing Processing Speeds in Ministry
Unlock the secrets to supporting individuals with a differing processing speed as Tracie Corll guides you through an episode of Indispensable People that promises to challenge misconceptions and build a more inclusive community. Have you ever wondered how slow processing speed differs from ADHD and learning disabilities? Learn practical strategies designed to foster patience and compassion in our fast-paced world. We'll help you understand the distinctive characteristics of slow processing speed and share effective ways to minister to those who experience it, like maintaining consistency and using visual schedules.
Join us as we delve into the transformative power of inclusive ministry practices that acknowledge the unique ways people interact with information. Disabilities can affect learning speeds, but by implementing strategies that benefit all, we can tear down barriers and share the gospel more effectively. This episode encourages listeners to rethink perceptions and embrace approaches that allow everyone to know Christ and serve with their gifts. It's a call to action for creating communities where every individual, regardless of their processing speed, can thrive and grow in their faith journey.
Hi, my name is Tracie Corll and welcome to Indispensable People. I'm a wife, mom, teacher, pastor and missionary, and I believe that every person should have the opportunity to know Christ, grow in Him and serve Him with the gifts that he has given, no matter their ability. Over 65 million Americans have a disability. That's 25% of the population. However, over 80% of them are not inside the walls of our church. Let's dive into those hard topics biblical foundations, perceptions and world-changing ideas. Hey, hey, my name is Tracy Corral and I want to welcome you to Indispensable People.
Tracie Corll:And today we're going to have some discussion about slow processing speed and we want to make sure we clear up some misconceptions, maybe some misunderstandings. Let's see how we can maybe identify it and then also, what do we do about it? How do we effectively minister to people who may have a slow processing speed? So let's first break it down into. A slow processing speed is a slower than average pace of taking in information, and it's not only how the information is taken in, but it's also how the information is responded to, whether in action, reaction or you know the way that we then communicate back from it. Okay. So we also wanna know that a slow processing speed often comes with other disabilities. So, for example, you may see a slow processing speed with ADHD or dyslexia. Those are very, very common. Here's some things that we want to remember that a slow processing speed is not Okay. So we don't want to assume that a slow processing speed is a sign of low intelligence. Just because they have a slow processing speed doesn't mean they're not just as smart as their peers are even smarter. It just takes a little bit longer for their brain to take in information and then to respond to it. So slow processing speed is not the same thing as ADHD. It is not caused by a lack of focus or distraction. That has absolutely nothing to do with it. Again, it can happen in addition to ADHD, but it can be on its own and it is not the same thing. Also, it is not the same thing as a learning disability. Some people with a slow processing speed may be classified as having an intellectual disability or learning disability, but that doesn't mean that their processing determines their level of intelligence. So we want to be clear on those kinds of things.
Tracie Corll:So let's dive into the next part in what does it look like? Maybe they need some extra time to make decisions. They might feel overwhelmed with a task, especially if multiple steps have been given with that task. They may have trouble starting a task and they may have trouble finishing. Just because of the requirement that it takes their brain to process the information needed to complete the task. It might take them a long time. They dislike changes in the routines because obviously a consistent routine is easier to keep up with. You're not processing all new information every time. If you have a consistent routine, they may typically underestimate the time that they need to complete a task. They may struggle with trying new things in general and they might have difficulty understanding how their behavior may impact others, so they may not plan ahead. They might try to avoid things that require multiple steps. They may lack focus, again not because of ADHD or distractibility, but because of the sheer amount of focus that it requires to process information.
Tracie Corll:These individuals may also be forgetful and in addition to that, you know you might have like a game or an activity that you set up or that you do especially for kids or teens that you assume will take an allotted amount of time, but they may take longer to complete those tasks. So how does that impact your ministry, your classrooms, anything like that, how you interact with individuals that may have a slower processing speed. Well, let's talk about the reality of the world that we live in. Right, it's busy, it's fast and it's immediate. You may need to consider, be very compassionate in understanding that your conversation, your interactions, may not be fast-paced. You may need to allow that individual some more time. So that's going to be, you know, something that's going to really impact that relational aspect as you interact with them.
Tracie Corll:So, in addition to that, when we consider maybe more teen or kids or really an event-based type ministry, those things are going to be impacted greatly by the amount of time that it would take someone to participate in those things, the mental load that they're carrying to process new directions, new experiences, to process new directions, new experiences, especially with events that are not happening on a regular basis. So you would have to consider, you know, the inconsistency of that event. So it would increase the time that it would take for that person to process through that information, to process through that information, interact with it and respond to it. So you're going to need to take that into consideration and then, on a weekly basis, in whatever ministry aspect that you are participating in, it is going to be very important that you maintain consistency, and you know, sometimes consistency is not fun.
Tracie Corll:You know you want to break out of the norm, you want to do some different things, freshen things up, and you can still do those things, but be very intentional about it. That's where a visual schedule would come in handy, or preparing the individual ahead of time. So if it's in kids ministry, for example, maybe you could send the schedule to the parents ahead of time and say listen, we're going to have a change up in Sunday morning's children's church and we wanted to give you a heads up about that. Those kinds of things are going to be impacted and we have to be intentional in setting up people for success. So we don't want to overwhelm them, we don't want to cut them short and we still need to minister to the rest of the group that we're with that maybe doesn't have those barriers or difficulties in their processing. So now let's jump into what can we do? What are some basic strategies to do regularly that we can put in place? Some of them we have already mentioned, but we're going to get into it a little bit more time in a little bit more.
Tracie Corll:So thinking about giving more time, so allowing those individuals time to process the information and respond, not to be expecting an immediate response. Giving time, allowing you know, making sure that your attitude aligns with the necessity to honor them and their need for that processing time. Also, it may be beneficial, if you're having any kind of important conversations or discussions, to do that in a calmer, quieter and even a private area. That would take some of the pressure off of the things that they would be working through or dealing with and removing some distractions from the space. Also, another strategy is to repeat instructions, giving those directions and tasks, especially new ones, things that are different.
Tracie Corll:We want to make sure that we're providing those extra moments to process that information. For example, on a Sunday morning in the main service, when the pastor references the scripture that is going to be used, it would be beneficial to introduce the scripture with the location to find it and then also say it again. Even more beneficial that it's up on the screens. If you use screens in your sanctuary so that if it wasn't heard or if it was missed in processing you know a multitude of information it is accessible somewhere else, so on the screen if you don't use that. Some people use bulletins and they will indicate the scriptures in there, and that is extremely helpful. In addition to that, you can use visual aids and, depending upon the group that you're working with and the event that you're doing or the service that you're a part of, a visual aid can be very, very helpful, especially those who may struggle even more so with those verbal directions. So being able to show pictures or being able to have, like the scripture references and those kinds of things available for those individuals to be able to see and reference at their need would be beneficial.
Tracie Corll:Also, you know what? A lot of us speak really, really quickly and we have the ability to take into consideration that not everyone works at the speed that our mouth runs, and so we may want to consider just speaking a little slower and being clear and maybe simplifying, especially for kids, especially that age group, simplifying those words and terminology to not create confusion or unnecessary need of processing. Right, we can say the same thing in multiple ways. That doesn't mean we always need to and it also doesn't mean that that makes it clear. So we want to be clear, we want to be concise, we want to slow down our speech if it's necessary.
Tracie Corll:Now I would give a warning on that slowing down of the speech. You don't want to do that to a degree that would be embarrassing. So, for instance, I've just changed the speed of my speech, but I did not create it in such a way that would be off-putting. So if I said, please go to the gym, that would be off-putting, right, because then it sounds as if you're questioning their intelligence. So there are different levels and different speeds of which you can speak and deliver information, but you want to uphold that dignity. You want to be sure that you are not embarrassing or creating a situation that is unnecessary.
Tracie Corll:The other thing and this is really helpful and I've seen a lot of pastors do this for their Sunday morning sermons using the Bible app even, where they provide outlines where people can follow along, and it's really great for follow-up Bible study as well for that individual between Sundays and things like that. That can also be given in a bulletin or on the screen that you provide those and it seems like, okay, that's an overload of information, but it's actually a consistency of information and it's provided in a multisensory type way so that that individual can interact with the information in the way that they learn best. So the other thing is these are I would say would almost be top-notch recommendations, and that is, you know, prepare in your planning and your organization and let that lead to the consistency that you're going to keep within your ministry so that people can interact, feel comfortable and engage in the things that you have. And the great thing is you're going to meet people along the way that you have. And the great thing is you're going to meet people along the way and you're going to see how this impacts them. And as you learn to get to know them and see the things that can help, you'll be able to respond in ways that will be most beneficial to them. And also, it's really okay to ask Say, hey, listen, am I delivering too much at one time? Would you prefer it? If you know those kinds of things? And just remember, don't be demeaning, uphold that dignity and remember what it goes back to a processing speed.
Tracie Corll:Someone's ability to intake information and to interact with it has nothing to do with their intellect.
Tracie Corll:Yes, it can impact or be coupled with other disabilities, but in and of itself does not determine what the person can or can't understand.
Tracie Corll:It just means that they take it in and interact with it at different speeds, and we want to be intentional.
Tracie Corll:We want to make sure that we put some strategies in place, and I would say any of these strategies that you would put in place are gonna benefit everybody else in the room. And because a lot of these strategies that you would put in place are going to benefit everybody else in the room, and because a lot of these strategies really interact well with the way people learn, the way their brain works and also the way other disabilities can impact their understanding, so all of these strategies are incredibly beneficial across the board. It's not a waste of your time. It will break down barriers and it will allow for the gospel to be shared, for lives to be impacted and for people to make choices that impact eternity. Do I know everything about disability ministry? Do I have all the answers? Have I done everything perfectly? I have absolutely not, but we are going to continue this conversation so that people of all abilities can have the opportunity to know Christ, grow in Him and serve Him with the gifts that he has given them.
