Executive Functioning Forum-- Flexible Thinking

Flexible Thinking is one of the most common skill deficits we see when working with our referral students. Inflexible thinking can impact all areas of the school day and can lead to interfering behaviors such as refusals, meltdowns, or even aggression. Students who lack flexibility may:

• have difficulty with changes to schedules or routines
• struggle to cope with unseen events
• have trouble transitioning
• struggle with shifting gears between activities or topics
• demonstrate rigid thinking
• can lead to difficulty maintaining friendships

It is important that educational teams approach flexible thinking as an executive functioning skill that needs to be directly taught. Today's Executive Functioning Forum will provide educators with ideas for providing accommodations and instruction to help students with developing their Flexible Thinking skills.

Provide Consistent Schedules and Routines
Students with autism and executive functioning skill deficits thrive off predictability and routine. Knowing what to expect daily can be calming and can greatly reduce anxiety. Even when looking to teach flexibility skills, it is important to first set the foundation by having consistent routines that students can rely on so that you can begin directly teaching skills associated with changing these routines. Expecting students to cope or "get used to" erratic schedules each day is counter-productive and often leads to students just feeling on edge each day. When feeling this way, students may become even more inflexible in an attempt to control the environment that they perceive is out of control.

Use visual schedules and checklists to help communicate to students what their daily routine will be. Make these visual supports interactive so that they are meaningful to students.

Laurie Maravetz
Schafer Middle School, Springfield

Jennifer Jette
Vandalia-Butler High School, Vandalia

Angela Crum
Parkwood Elementary, Beavercreek

For more ideas on using schedules in the classroom visit our Super Star Schedules posts.

Prime for Transitions
When using schedules, it is still important to prime for transitions so students know when it will be time to go to the next activity. Using a structured work system or mini schedule helps students know what is expected during a scheduled activity. The end of the task marks the natural end of the period and cues students to go on to the next scheduled activity.

Kirsten Johnson
Greene INC

Traci Parker
Forest Elementary, Troy

If there is not a clear end to a task or activities, visual supports can be used to cue students on the transition. A time timer or time timer watch shows the student the passing of time.

While a visual countdown can be used by the staff to show the passing of time and provide reminders as they count down. The bottom of the countdown shows where they will be transitioning to next.

Jennifer McGowan
Smith Middle School, Vandalia

Help students develop their metacognition through discussing transitions with them and help them to identify possible triggers so that you can directly teach coping strategies. We love this transition discussion guide!

Leslie Mann
Demmitt Elementary, Vandalia

For more ideas on supporting transitions check out our Around Town Round Up-- Transitions post.

Prime for Changes
Some schedules make it easy to communicate changes because you can manipulate the picture icons or write the new sequence of activities. Other schedules may require a visual cue to prime students such as a change card or post-it note.

Angela Crum
Parkwood Elementary, Beavercreek

Jennifer Schmidt
Beavercreek High School, Beavercreek

Teach Strategies for Perspective Taking
When an individual demonstrates inflexible thinking it can be difficult for them to make and keep friends. This can stem from their inability to shift gears between the activities and topics they love to the things others enjoy. It can also be a result of their unwillingness to take the other person's thoughts or feelings into consideration. They may come off as rude or uncaring when really they may be unaware of the issue due to their own mindblindness.

First, introduce the idea of speech bubbles and thought bubbles. Teach students to filter what things are appropriate to say (speech bubble) and what is better left unsaid (thought bubble). Offer role-playing opportunities and discuss scenarios to provide students with time to practice this skill. Use visuals to prime and prompt students.

Versailles Elementary

Nancy Cera
Brookville Elementary, Brookville

Nancy Cera
Brookville Elementary, Brookville

For more ideas on teaching speech bubbles and thought bubbles check out our Around Town Round Up-- Speech Bubble/Thought Bubble post.

When teaching about speech and though bubbles, emphasize how actions and words can impact what others think. Use contingency maps and flow charts to help student see the consequences of their actions and words. This type of forward thinking is often difficult for our students with autism especially when they are having difficulty with flexible thinking because they are unable to consider the perspective of others.

Taylor Ruef
Stevenson Elementary, Mad River

Once the student has a toolbox of strategies to help them think more flexibly. Use visual supports to prime them like the list of strategies on the Be Flexible card below. Prime the student before times where flexible thinking may be difficult such as when working on a group project or going out to recess. Then, provide a visual cue to prompt them in the moment if you notice they start to struggle with being flexible. The front of the Be Flexible card below is one example of a visual cue prompt.

Providing students with visual supports and direct instruction will help them develop their ability to think flexibly, cope with changes, and foster friendships.


For more ideas on meeting the needs of students with executive functioning difficulties, check out our previous Executive Functioning Forum posts. 

Planning and Organization

Attention and Impulse Control

Memory

Emotional Regulation