Speed of information processing in children referred for learning problems: Performance on a visual filtering test

Children referred for evaluation of learning impairment (LI, N =100) and a comparison group of nonreferred (NLI, N = 243) children were evaluated on a visual filtering task. The task was designed hierarchically to provide for evaluation of component operations-serial search, parallel search, decisio n, and response. With each additional processing demand, response times inc reased disproportionately for the LI group relative to the NLI group. Overa ll response time reliably predicted academic skills and cognitive ability, but was more strongly related to group membership. Thus, this nonverbal vis ual task is sensitive to a characteristic of children with learning problem s over and above discrete academic and cognitive skills. Children with prob lems adapting to the demands of schooling may be distinguished by a disprop ortionate vulnerability to processing load.