My son has tested consistently in the 10th percentile in auditory processing and 9th percentile in cognitive fluency since the 3rd grade. This was confirmed in both the 9th and 10th grade with additional testing. No one believes he has a disability with processing because he has an incredible fund of knowledge and scores highly on IQ tests that don't have timed auditory sections.
They tried to label him with ADD; however, being a physician, I knew that he did not fit the pattern. He can concentrate; however, he soon gets lost and therefore no longer pays attention. This is VERY different than having ADD. Have you ever tried to pay attention to a lecture that you cannot follow? By the time you figure out the first sentence said, the speaker has completed several more sentences. You can never catch up! Your mind will naturally wander.
After the second set of tests showed that my son had this severe learning disability, I applied and fought for a 504 plan. After suggesting that I was employing an education attorney, the 504 was granted. In the 504, my son gets a reduced work load. If the teacher assigns a worksheet, she must give him only a fraction of the questions to complete. If it is a research paper, he does not have to cite as many references or write as many pages. He also has extended time on tests and assignments. You have to be very careful because if they just give extended time, your child will just get further and further behind. The school has to dramatically reduce the work load or your child cannot keep up. The teachers are also required to give him full sets of class notes. Obviously if you cannot process auditory input quickly, there is no way you can take your own notes.
Because my son is bright and socially engaging, I have to constantly remind the teacher, counselor and special education department to stick with his 504. It is almost impossible to tell that he has a problem by just observing him.
We just applied for, and received, special accommodations on the SAT. All of his classmates took the regular SAT today. My son is taking it spread out over Monday and Tuesday of next week.
I still have to do a lot of encouragement at home but we now enjoy As and Bs on report cards and not Ds and Fs.
From research I did when I first figured out why my son was struggling, the combination of slow processing speeds and high IQs is most common among gifted boys.
The real trick will be figuring out my son's career path. Most jobs require at least a modicum of productivity per unit time. Fortunately he has an Irish tenor voice that flows like melted chocolate and he can deliver a punch line in a play with perfect timing so we are exploring the performing arts. There will still be challenges with processing speed.
Best of luck with your children! If in public school, work hard to get a 504 plan. Federal law requires all schools, including universities and professional schools, to give the accommodations once they are granted. In other words, the accommodations will follow your child through his or her academic career.
Hope some of this helps!