Executive Functioning Skills 101: Problem Solving

When parents reach out to us about working with a child, we almost always ask about problem solving skills.

For many of the parents and teachers we work with, it quickly becomes clear that the struggles and challenging behaviors they encounter with their child ultimately comes back to challenges with problem solving.

Problem solving involves our capacity to identify and describe a problem and generate solutions to fix it.

According to Newell & Simon (1972), “a person is confronted with a problem when he wants something and does not know immediately what series of actions he can perform to get it” (p.72). We engage in problem solving behaviors when we evaluate possible steps forward and then take action to obtain an outcome.

Problem solving involves many other executive functioning behaviors, including attentional control, planning, and task initiation. We need to pay attention to our environment to notice a problem, outline different strategies, and then attempt one of those solutions. Depending on the issue, we might also need to use time management, emotional control, or organization skills. Over time, if we can observe our behavior and understanding of the environment through working memory and self-monitoring behaviors, it can also influence our problem solving skills.

Problem solving skills develop early through play behaviors as infants and toddlers. At these early stages of development, much of a child’s play consists of cause and effect activities or ‘figuring out how things work.’ As children move into early learning years, problem solving includes learning decision making and turn-taking. Children learn to brainstorm solutions to simple problems and learn to notice issues when others point them out.

As children reach adolescence, they begin to independently identify problems in many settings, including home, school, work, and friends. They sort out conflicts and decide what steps to take but may seek adult feedback and support to evaluate the potential advantages and disadvantages. Developing good problem solving skills as adults involves generating unique solutions to complex problems and persisting through multiple solutions until a problem resolves.

How we problem solve might look different depending on the situation. Here are several examples of skills we need to know to problem solve effectively:

Not all teens and young adults develop strong problem solving behaviors like those listed above. Barriers related to diagnosis, learning history, and motivation can impact how a child or student handles problems when they arise.

Learners with a history of behavioral and learning challenges may not always use good problem solving skills to manage stressful situations. We all know students who use challenging behaviors like talking back, arguing, property destruction, and aggression when presented with challenging tasks. We also know students who shut down, check out, or struggle to follow directions when encountering new or unknown situations. Without a step-by-step model for problem solving, including identifying a problem and choosing a replacement behavior to solve it, many of our children and students use challenging behaviors instead. Over time, learners written off as ‘defiant,’ ‘lazy,’ or ‘helpless’ may just need better problem solving tools.

Some of the negative consequences of when a child or student struggles with problem solving skills might be obvious. Still, it may be more difficult to evaluate where there are underlying areas of concern. Here are some strategies to consider if it’s time to intervene: