Some kids take it in stride. When you're flexible, you're versatile, resilient and responsive to change. The same applies when evaluating your own behavior. Educators: Explore classroom strategies that might help kids who struggle with executive function. Together you can find ways to help. is made up of passionate writers and editors. Students have to adjust to new periods and classrooms. My thinking preference (See the Hermann Whole-Brain Thinking Model - also on MindTools) is very flexible. For example, maybe lack of hearing back from someone indicates a problem, but maybe it doesn't. Kids who have trouble with flexible thinking often get stuck on an activity or idea. Feeling uncertain about something isn't necessarily a bad sign. If you want to practice understanding common thinking biases, check this list. They can change their minds as they get new information. Flexible, or agile, working is becoming more and more prevalent. Ask; "are they able to move it at all?" First of all, it’s important to be aware that rigid behaviors are often a … flexible thinking too. Considering situational explanations as well as personality explanations. Sometimes it works to be more rigid, to follow specific rules; sometimes it’s better to be more open and loose, Maisel says. But the challenge is the same: not yet being able to see things from different angles or use different strategies to solve problems. Flexible thinking is the ability to take another's perspective and adapt to changes gracefully. Imagine this: The school sends out class schedules right before the new school year. Flexible thinking and/or set shifting skills are often weak in children or adults with ADHD. And their challenges with finding different approaches to problems has a big impact on learning and everyday living. What You Can Try To Do. This website provides information of a general nature and is Flexible thinkers recognize this. Lateral thinking stories are also a great way to practice flexible thinking. Consider the following examples and how you might talk out loud through the situation: ⦁ “My plan today was to take a walk outside. Consider the following examples and how you might talk out loud through the situation: ⦁ “My plan today was to take a walk outside. If you want to practice understanding common thinking biases, check this list. My primary school groups are working on flexible thinking. They ask around to see who has lunch the same period they do. Giving them this information in advance can help kids know what to expect. Slow processing speed can also play a role in being able to quickly switch gears and think of solutions. Or see that a strategy they used for one type of math problem can work with another. For example, if the recess bell rings and it is time to go in, a flexible thinker would think, "I wanted to swing some more, but I can swing again next recess." Each deck contains 22 real life scenarios for students to read and/or listen to and decide if the thinking is rigid or flexible. Kids use it to find ways to solve word problems and to understand that a phrase like “how many in all” means that addition is being used. Flexible thinking also helps kids understand that there’s more than one way to solve a math problem. Share • Ask parent to use flexible thinking to think what else the child learns in an activity. is the director of LEAP at Massachusetts General Hospital. Get the help you need from a therapist near you–a FREE service from Psychology Today. Definition of Flexible Thinking: A critical thinking process that is exhibited when the learner remains open to multiple possibilities, ideas, or hypothesis, particularly early during a critical thinking problem when information and evidence is being gathered. Practice thinking creatively. For example, while helping the parent sort clothes, the child can learn types of clothing, colours, or sizes. Reframing your thoughts is essential to adapting this mentality. "Is it flexible?" • The Flexible thinking in learning (FTL) scale is a valid and reliable instrument. Embrace the Unknown. Flexible thinking is a leadership secret uncovered by David Burnham and other researchers at the firm Burnham Rosen, through studies involving hundreds of thousands of people beginning in the late 1990s. Explore how to teach a variety of core Social Thinking concepts—for free. Sep 23, 2012 - printable scenario cards to use with flexible thinking lessons and rock brain. You could stay and see a different movie, buy tickets for a later show and come back, or do something else entirely. And they probably don’t know why. Flexible thinking is part of a group of skills called executive function. Flexible thinking and set shifting require the control of thought processes. For example, if you're in a situation where you need to give yourself a push to "go for it," you might find it helpful to imagine an optimistic outcome. There may be other situations in which you're overconfident. Rapid technological advances, along with fast-paced changes in global markets and the political landscape, mean that today's workplaces are often unpredictable. • When coming up with options for an object, think of physical things to do as well as imaginative uses. We’ve Got Depression All Wrong. This serves us when we are learning complex concepts and when we are problem solving. Flexible thinking is a key skill in math. You can read my prior articles for Psychology Today here. But some kids have trouble switching gears. They struggle to cope with change because they can only see one possible schedule or solution. Social thinking provides the framework for my social skills groups. Understood is a nonprofit initiative. Adaptability is a critical quality that employers seek in early 21st-century employees. A flexible mindset can lead to better problem-solving, … Children with autism tend to be literal in their thinking, meaning that they have difficulty understanding and interpreting abstract speech, thoughts and ideas. Flexible thinking is part of a group of skills called executive function. Actor #2 really wants to be red in the game. The way to get the most from one of these stories is to have a leader who tells the story and knows the answer. Thinking Flexibly . Browse our entire webinar collection and discover strategies to help people of all ages develop social competencies, self-regulation, social skills, social-emotional understanding, flexible thinking, and more! 5 Ways to Help Your Child with Autism Learn Flexible Thinking Children with autism are often frustrated with changes in their daily schedule, or the unexpected actions of another person. Ask them to think about what else they could try if their first strategy doesn’t work. Model how flexible thinking helps you cope with frustration, unexpected events, unreasonable demands, or moments demanding delayed gratification. Your organization has probably undergone major change of one kind or another recently – most have. You need to be able to think straight for a moment. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. At times, this interferes with kids’ lives, making them get “stuck” or triggering meltdowns when things don’t go as expected. These kids struggle with a skill called flexible thinking. Try to use the exact same words or phrases each time with everyone in your family (even your spouse or mother-in-law). Below is a list of 20 realistic lateral thinking puzzles designed to flex your brain and test your critical thinking skills. You can opt out of emails at any time by sending a request to [email protected]. They often get stuck and don’t understand why. Rigid behavior and thinking are part of autism’s diagnostic criteria. Belmont, MA. A flexible mindset moves us away from limiting thought patterns to a place of openness and possibility. Ellen Braaten, PhD Of course, travel is one way to challenge your way of thinking, but even just reading about moral dilemmas and thinking about them critically can help you develop in this area. However, if you're a flexible thinker, you can recognize that is a pretty common type of overconfidence bias. The Understood Team First, because our subjects fail to The flexible thinking comes in, of course, as you constantly shift your perspective to continue adding to the picture, and to make sense of unexpected adaptations. It is worthwhile spending time writing statements like this about all your experiences and then adapting them to match each recruiters’ specific requirements. You can help by breaking assignments into smaller chunks and offering different options for approaching problems. Workplace flexibility is a strategy of responding to changing circumstances and expectations. About Saga Briggs. Kids who struggle with flexible thinking often have trouble coping with change. 6 Responses. Review our privacy policy. Imagine going to the movies and finding out the one you want to see is sold out. We do not market to or offer services to individuals in the European Union. Saved from autismteachingstrategies.com. Each deck contains 22 real life scenarios for students to read and/or listen to and decide if the thinking is rigid or flexible. I had to be flexible and change my plan.” ⦁ “My brain is stuck thinking … In his book Elastic: Flexible Thinking in a Constantly Changing World, Leonard Mlodinow confirms that the speed of technological and cultural development is requiring us to embrace types of thinking besides the rational, logical style of analysis that tends to be emphasized in our society. Finding the humor in a variety of situations is an exercise in flexible thinking. These are stories that ask you to come up with a reason for what seems to be an impossible situation. Flexible Thinking and Math. Successful people are flexible thinkers. They can picture where their new rooms are and how they’ll get from one to the next. Flexible thinkers also consider optimistic and pessimistic explanations for other people's behavior. Here are some behaviors you might see at home and at school. In other words, they have little or no trouble seeing a different way of doing things. Critical thinking skills allow you to understand and address situations based on all available facts and information. Flexible thinking, in contrast, allows us to have hope in the outcomes we desire, but it also prepares us to create multiple solutions, outcomes, or alternative thoughts. It is about finding out what you need to know and problem solving. Employees who approach their job with a flexible mindset are typically more highly valued by employers. Find out more about trouble with flexible thinking and what can help at home and at school. If you know you tend to be too optimistic or too pessimistic, you factor this in when you're thinking about things, as a reminder to yourself to consider the other side of the coin. Kids who struggle with flexible thinking don’t respond that way to problems. For example, recognizing that your view isn't the only view would help prevent you from launching a product feature that you like but other people have no interest in. Similar to physical flexibility, mental or psychological flexibility requires challenging the mind to go beyond its typical range of motion. It’s Trying to Save Us. Flexible thinkers also consider optimistic and pessimistic explanations for other people's behavior. Balancing long term and short term desires. Flexible Thinking Problem Solving Perspective Taking Communication & Conversation Skills ... Then we discuss examples of how to be flexible in different situations, like while playing a board game, or getting ready for bed with your sibling, or doing a craft with someone. Saved from autismteachingstrategies.com. ROLE PLAY # 3 Flexible versus Rock Thinking Lesson Skill to Practice: Discriminate and demonstrate flexible thinking versus rigid, egocentric “rock: thinking Scene: (read by the Director): You and a friend are getting ready to play the game, Cranium Cariboo. For example, if you're thinking about switching from a salaried job to freelancing, you wouldn't only consider the likely upsides or the likely downsides, you'd consider both. An evaluation can lead to supports for kids who struggle with flexible thinking and other executive skills. is made up of passionate writers and editors. It is considered an important element of strategy, problem solving and decision making that allows for a great breadth of possible solutions. Displaying top 8 worksheets found for - Flexible Thinking. .. Creative thinking is the process of thinking in a flexible, flowing and original way. Another is to help kids plan out how they’re going to approach tasks or problems. I had to be flexible and change my plan.” ⦁ “My brain is stuck thinking … Black and White Thinking This involves for example thinking that a situation is either perfect or else it’s hopeless, someone is a demon or else they are a saint. Cognitive flexibility has been described as the mental ability to switch between thinking about two different concepts, and to think about multiple concepts simultaneously. photo credit: dierk schaefer darkday geezaweezer cc. Flexible Thinking and Language Learning. Typically, using critical thinking at work involves processing and organizing facts, data and other information to define a problem and develop effective solutions. Flexible thinking in learning is the ability to be open-minded and adapt to new learning methods. Many of them have kids who learn and think differently. You can get an email alert whenever Dr. Alice Boyes writes a new blog article - Subscribe. Trouble With Flexible Thinking: Why Some Kids Only See Things One Way, By Employees who approach their job with a flexible mindset are typically more highly valued by employers. Many students struggle with flexible thinking, and see things in only one way. Flexible thinkers don't assume that how they feel now is how they're always going to feel. We began this simple lesson with a simple drawing of a box and asked the kids what it was. Understood does not and will not take money from pharmaceutical However, if you're a flexible thinker, you can recognize that is a pretty common type of overconfidence bias. information, please review the Terms and For example, a child with ASD may not understanding “raining cats and dogs” as raining heavily. Cognitive flexibility is usually described as one of the executive functions. Getting frustrated when even small things go wrong, Struggling to take on new, more complicated tasks, Having trouble switching from one activity to another, Getting upset when others don’t follow rules. It means stretching what you know enough to make an educated guess that could be right (and if it’s not, that’s okay). designed for information and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Audrey Foster says: December 29 2018 at 5:54 am. But after the first week of classes, schedules change. Flexible thinking also allows your child to practice creativity and develop skills for meeting challenges in education and in life. Explain What is Happening. , activities to help kids who struggle with flexible thinking task cards are great... And then adapting them to think straight for a later show and come up ways! “ Understood ” and related logos are trademarks of Understood for all Inc. all rights reserved your from! Of an object ), the child can learn types of clothing, colours, or moments delayed. Did you binge because your self control needs some work or because you got too hungry, unexpected events unreasonable... Learning complex concepts and when they do recruiters ’ specific requirements something a. Refers to the brain 's ability to transition from thinking about one concept to another for! One kind or another recently – most have has been one of the most one... 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Another ( e.g or mother-in-law ) lesson with a reason for what seems to be to. To support and deepen our flexible thinking examples of flexible thinking © 2014–2020 Understood for all and... School year to expect no trouble seeing a different way of thinking can show up when have. And develop skills for meeting challenges in education and in life anxious when plans.! Love it as much as you, without testing that assumption email alert whenever Dr. Alice Boyes a.