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What Is Working Memory_ _ Understood - For learning and thinking differences

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Does your child become stuck thinking about topics in only one way? Do they struggle to 'switch' their approach and use a different problem-solving strategy? Is it more challenging for them to do something differently than how they normally do it? Are they rigid in their thinking?

Typically, children who demonstrate challenges like those listed have difficulties with cognitive flexibility. Cognitive flexibility is the ability to adapt our behaviour and thinking in response to the environment. When children are asked to think about multiple concepts simultaneously or change their approach to solving a problem, they need to demonstrate flexible thinking. Cognitive flexibility is considered a core aspect of executive functioning. Executive functioning includes the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions and juggle multiple tasks simultaneously. Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Learning Disabilities/Disorders commonly show challenges with their executive functioning.

Cognitive flexibility occurs in two main ways:

1. The ability to think about multiple things at the same time

2. The ability to modify thinking based on a change in expectations and/or demands

Let's think about a typical example. Imagine the teacher has asked students to see how many ways their class can be sorted into different groups. Your child might say, "they all belong to the same grade!" Does your child also consider that they can be sorted by age, height, gender, favourite animal, sports, number of siblings, hair colour, and so on? Whether the problem is in real-life or an academic task, your child needs to look at situations from multiple perspectives. This is an aspect of cognitive flexibility! Here is another example. If your child is attempting a challenging math question, do they try to solve the problem using different strategies? Students will frequently attempt to solve a problem using the method they know best. If they can't solve the problem with that strategy, they may state that the problem is impossible.

Why Does Cognitive Flexibility Matter?

Life is full of examples of times when we must examine situations using differing perspectives. To be successful social beings, we need to be flexible. We will have to face social problems, problems in our relationships, work-place conflict, or many other scenarios! Let's think about an example of this in real life. Your child might have a playdate arranged at a friend's home. But, as you are heading out the door, you get a text saying that the friend is sick and they will have to reschedule. For many of us, we would think, "Ok, when does it work for us to reschedule?" Or "What else can we do today that's fun?". But for those that struggle with cognitive flexibility, this may not be as easy. Often kids who struggle with flexible thinking don't respond the same way to changes. They may freeze and do nothing. They may ruminate on the fact that their playdate was cancelled. Or, they may become emotional and distressed as they struggle to understand that they can reschedule and do something different that day instead. By practicing being flexible in our thinking with our students and children, we can help them reach their full potential.

How Do We Improve Cognitive Flexibility?

Incorporate the concepts of rigidity and flexibility through play. Practice modelling flexible thinking in fun and silly ways to help your child better understand it.

Label rigid thinking patterns in a non-judgemental way in yourself and your kids to help them identify them. Helpful talking techniques can include explaining rigidity as a tightly pulled elastic. By contrast, flexible thinking is a loose, flexible elastic. We want to practice flexibility so that we can bend with whatever life throws at us and not break!

Talk about scenarios that have multiple ways to solve a problem. For example, if your child needs to get from school to home, what different routes could they take? What modes of transportation could be used?

Help your child examine their triggers for rigidity and work to identify them. For example, do they need things done a certain way? Celebrate how those behaviours can help them, but also teach them how to distinguish between helpful versus harmful inflexibility.

Read a social story (e.g., Superflex by Social Thinking) that emphasizes flexible thinking patterns. You can also create your own story with your child as the main character. Getting your child involved in creating the story, or incorporating their interests, can support their buy-in towards learning the concept.

Emphasize that there are different strategies they can try, especially in math.

Model skills for flexibility/frustration tolerance in daily activities, and model how you practice cognitive flexibility.

Reflect on your behaviours that may model rigidity. We all demonstrate rigidity at times! Being patient with yourself and practicing looking at other perspectives will model the learning process for your child.

Explicitly remind your children of other concepts they should consider. You can do this by supporting them to develop a mind map, asking them leading questions or having them complete the same problem twice, using different strategies each time.

Incorporate small changes to help build their tolerance/skills. Some examples include driving a different way home, switching the typical family seats at dinner or watching tv, doing a regular daily routine in backwards order, or making up new rules for a game (e.g., going up the snakes & down the ladders)). Get your children to help choose a way to change their everyday tasks to help give them a sense of control over the situation.

Talk out loud and model how you examine scenarios in your daily life by explaining all the points of view to consider. You can even pause a movie or TV show to ask your child to hypothesize what might happen in the next scene.

Prepare your child for a situation that may require cognitive flexibility. Remind them that there may be different solutions to solving a problem and that they may have to employ these different strategies.

Create a problem-solving wheel that shows your child the alternate strategies they can attempt to solve a problem.

Complete a new activity with your child. Learning new things and being adventurous can help you expand your ideas.

Recognize that anxiety is a part of rigid thinking styles. You can support your child to deal with their anxiety when they have to change something. For example, they can use deep breathing or other mindfulness techniques. Be empathetic to their challenges.

These strategies are particularly important now during the global pandemic. Children have been forced to adapt their daily living, learn school lessons in a new way, and socialize differently. Practicing the ability to solve problems in new ways, consider multiple concepts at once, and look at the bigger picture will support their cognitive flexibility skills.

In summary, cognitive flexibility skills allow us to switch gears and find new approaches to solve problems in our daily lives. Many children with ADHD and Learning Disabilities struggle with cognitive flexibility and may require more assistance in developing these skills. There are many ways to help your child develop these skills, including modelling, explicit instruction, and experiential learning.

For further information:
Trouble With Flexible Thinking: Why Some Kids Only See Things One Way A Day in the Life of a Child Who Struggles With Flexible Thinking Flexible Thinking: How to Encourage Kids to Go With the Flow
Activities to promote flexible thinking with kids:
9 Flexible Thinking Activities for Kids 5 Fun Activities for Developing Kids' Flexibility Skills
Books for Kids:

" My Day is Ruined " - A Story Teaching Flexible Thinking by Bryan Smith

"I Just Don't Like the Sound of No"!" - written by Julia Cook

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What Is Cognitive Flexibility and How do I Help my Child With It?

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Does your child become stuck thinking about topics in only one way? Do they struggle to 'switch' their approach and use a different problem-solving strategy? Is it more challenging for them to do something differently than how they normally do it? Are they rigid in their thinking?

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Meet Anthony, a second grader who has trouble thinking flexibly. He's a bright kid, but it's hard for him to see things from more than one point of view. This impacts almost every aspect of his day. His mom worries a lot about his rigid thinking. To see how trouble with flexible thinking can impact families, take a look at a typical day for Anthony and his mom.

Anthony eats breakfast while Mom tries to watch the news. There's a debate on, but Anthony doesn't like hearing about it. "Turn it off," he demands. "I don't want to listen to people argue."

His mom tries to say that the debate is important and that she needs to hear different points of view. But she doesn't want Anthony to get upset, so she puts on one of his TV shows.

"I know he's still young," she thinks. "But what if he can't handle listening to different opinions?"

It's raining hard as Anthony gets ready for school. Before he leaves, his mom gets a text from his coach. "Today's baseball game is being postponed because of the weather," she says.

"No!" Anthony yells. "We have to play today!" He grabs his baseball gear and starts heading for the door.

As his mom tries to calm him down, she worries: "Why is my child so stubborn? What if he always has this much trouble adjusting to change?"

Anthony's class is talking about a story they just read. He recognized a lot of the words and could sound out the ones that were new to him. But he has trouble answering questions about the story.

"Why was it a big deal when the rooster slept late?" the teacher asked. "Why were some animals happy about this but others were mad?"

Anthony is having trouble remembering different details long enough to compare them. To cover for this, he says something rude to try to make his classmates laugh: "Because this book is stupid."

Math word problems are so tricky. Anthony has an especially tough time when the problems ask about "less than" or "more than."

It's hard for him to picture different quantities in his mind long enough to compare them. He gets frustrated about this. And that makes it hard to ask the teacher for help. All he can manage to say is "Why?"

It finally stops raining, so Mom takes Anthony to the playground. He wants to shoot hoops. But his friends want to play a running game where they pretend the ground is hot lava.

Anthony keeps repeating what he wants. He doesn't seem to notice his friends are getting more and more annoyed. His mom tries to help them work out a solution.

"What if my child never learns to compromise?" she worries. "What if he has trouble socially at school?"

Seeing other people's perspectives

Recognizing and resolving conflicts

Rigid behavior that annoys other kids

Anthony wants to watch another episode of his favorite show. But Mom says it's bedtime. "Why now?" he complains. "Why can't I go to bed later? I'm not tired now."

Mom says that if he doesn't get enough sleep tonight, he'll be tired tomorrow. But all Anthony can think about right now is how much he wants to watch another episode. She worries: "What if my child never learns to see the big picture?"

Flexible thinking is part of a broader set of executive functions . It involves using working memory, shifting your attention and frame of reference, and using reasoning and planning skills.

Kids aren't born knowing how to think flexibly. As they get older, they learn how to solve problems and see things from more than one point of view.

It's harder to use these executive functioning skills when emotions are running high . Trouble with flexible thinking can sometimes get overlooked, especially if kids seem easily frustrated or afraid of change. Rigid thinking and behavior also can make it harder for kids to navigate social challenges.

About the Author

About the Author

Julie Rawe is the special projects editor at Understood.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Nelson Dorta, PhD is a pediatric neuropsychologist and an assistant professor of medical psychology in child psychiatry at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University.

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A day in the life of a child who struggles with flexible thinking

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Meet Anthony, a second grader who has trouble thinking flexibly. He's a bright kid, but it's hard for him to see things from more than one point of view. This impacts almost every aspect of his day. His mom worries a lot about his rigid thinking.

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Inflexible or rigid thinkers have trouble seeing alternatives or doing things in a different order. They often get stuck on an activity or idea. And they probably don't know why.

Here's what trouble with flexible thinking can look like:

Not accepting other people's ideas

Arguing the same point over and over

Getting upset when others don't follow rules

Having trouble switching from one activity to another

Getting anxious when plans change, or frustrated when small things go wrong

Not following new schedules

Struggling to take on new, more complicated tasks

Repeating the same mistakes

Having trouble getting jokes

Explore a day in the life of a child who struggles with flexible thinking.

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How to help kids build flexible thinking skills

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Inflexible or rigid thinkers have trouble seeing alternatives or doing things in a different order. They often get stuck on an activity or idea. And they probably don't know why.

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Homework Tips Plan & Organize Your Student 5Ws

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How to Improve Working Memory in Kids _ Understood - For learning and thinking differences

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Types of Executive Function Skills _ Understood - For learning and thinking differences

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What Are Executive Function Skills?

Have you ever heard of executive function skills? They are an incredibly important set of skills we use every single day!

Beginning at a very young age, we apply this combination of skills to daily activities and situations, such as playing, learning, and socializing. Overall, they help us accomplish important things and reach new achievements.

Examples of ways we use executive functions skills:

.While playing peek-a-boo, babies know where an object is even if it can't be seen.

Children take turns and share with peers.

They learn to be okay with losing.

They follow directions from adults.

While socializing.

Baby learns to focus and pay attention to people as they talk.

They at first imitate others, then learn how to use gestures and expressions during communication.

Children learn to talk through issues with their friends and find a solution.

As they get older, they organize gatherings with their friends and follow-through with those plans.

At school.

Children manage their time properly in order to get assignments and tests done on time.

They pay attention to learn new things.

They keep handouts organized by subject so they can easily find the materials we need.

Executive Function: Know the Basics

When do we begin developing executive function skills?

Executive function skills begin developing when we are babies! We first start to use these skills at a very young age, possibly before our first birthday. Executive function skills become increasingly important in social and school settings, and continue to develop and change throughout our lives due to learning and life experiences.

Why do we need executive function skills?

Executive function is about functional skills. These are skills that help us with daily routines, school work, friendships, working, playing, etc. With executive function, we take what we know and find practical and important ways to use those skills.

For example, as a child we learn how a light switch works. Then, we apply that information to help us in a new situation or environment, such as knowing how to use a light switch in a different house, or how to figure out different types of switches. Using information we learned to solve problems is an important use of executive function skills.

What are some of the different areas of executive function skills?

There are many areas of executive function skills. Three of them are:

Working memory: This type of memory helps us remember and apply information to everyday activities, to put our memories to "work". An example of working memory would be remembering the rules of a game while playing that game.

Self-control: The ability to think about what to do before doing it, with control over our reaction. For example, self-control is at work when we raise our hand and wait to be called on before giving an answer.

Mental flexibility: The ability to switch efficiently between multiple subjects. This is a key skill set to participate in learning, play, and social environments that require problem solving, working with others, or trying new things. For example, mental flexibility is at work when we switch from recess to the classroom, and are able to appropriately function in both environments.

What do executive function skills help with?

Reading and applying what you learn

Getting to work or school on time

Completing a list of chores

Playing with friends and siblings

Cleaning your room

Cooking

Working with a group

Finishing a project

Asking for help when you need it

Checking over your homework before turning it in

Getting along with people even if you are upset

How can parents help develop and improve executive function skills?

Have predictable routines from a young age

Provide baby with age-appropriate toys and household items to play with and explore

As a baby, use imitation games such as clapping hands to build memory skills and teach baby how to copy you

As they grow older, continue to model the behavior that you would like to see in your children

Bring children along on errands

Let them try new things and complete tasks to help build confidence

Acknowledge good behavior

Talk through steps of an activity

Provide opportunities for free, creative play and problem solving

Executive Function Activities

Keeping every age active and using their executive function skills

Keep exercising your child's executive function skills using these everyday tasks.

What to Watch For

How to know if your child is struggling with executive function

Potential signs and risk factors of executive function issues in children include:

General delays in motor, cognitive, or communication development

Significant differences in responses to sensory experiences, e.g. too sensitive or not sensitive enough

Becomes easily frustrated and struggles to manage emotions or is not easily calmed as a baby

Has rigid routines and dislikes change

Struggles to make adjustments after getting used to doing something a certain way

Has difficulty completing simple, age-appropriate tasks

Difficulty with age-appropriate social interactions

Struggles to participate in age-appropriate play

Needs more help with tasks than other children his or her age

Struggles with time management

Difficulty starting task on their own

Disorganized

Difficulty using and applying information from memory

Forgets rules easily

Difficulty planning and completing projects

Appears impulsive

Poor emotional control

Struggles with open ended tasks

Executive Function skills are learned skills. With practice and a little help, all children can improve their executive functions. Practice makes better!

If you feel your child is struggling, talk to your healthcare provider. It's important to remember executive function skills use a combination of motor, sensory, and communication skills, so talk to your healthcare provider if you notice delays in any of those areas.

There are pediatric specialists who may be able to help your child with executive function including:

Physical Therapists: Strive to make every session fun, while working on improving strength, flexibility, range of motion, posture, balance, and movement patterns. If your child has difficulty in any of these areas, talk with your child's healthcare providers about the impact physical limitations can have on executive function development, and to see a physical therapist to address these issues.

Occupational Therapists: Help children master daily life skills by helping them strengthen the physical, cognitive, and sensory skills required to achieve every day activities. Occupational therapists address underlying skill limitations while providing adaptive strategies to help children perform daily tasks as independently as possible, which in turn helps children further build their skills and confidence.

Speech-Language Pathologists: Work to give children the tools to communicate effectively. Children may feel stressed or anxious if they are unable to express their feelings. Speech-language pathologists aim to improve a child's ability to use verbal and non-verbal communication, and engage in meaningful learning and social activities.

Developmental and Behavioral Pediatricians: Address developmental delays and disabilities, attention and behavioral issues, regulatory and habit disorders, and anxiety and stress management.

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Learn the Basics of Executive Function | Free Resources

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Executive function skills are important skills that we use everyday. Learn about how you can help your child develop & improve executive function skills.