When people ask us to help a child, teen, or adult, we almost always ask about problem solving skills.
- Does the person-child, teen, or adult-identify problems on their own?
- When you see a problem in the making, can they see it too?
- If they come to you with a problem, how much effort does it take to generate a solution?
- Can they evaluate the pros and cons of different strategies to solve a problem?
- When they eventually find a solution, can they implement it and stay the course to see the situation through?
These strategies apply well beyond childhood—teens and adults benefit just as much. For a lifespan overview, see our Executive Functioning Skills by Age Guide.
For many of the parents and teachers we work with, it quickly becomes clear that the struggles and challenging behaviors they encounter with a learner ultimately comes back to challenges with problem solving.
What is 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.
Developing Problem Solving Behaviors
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.
Examples of Problem Solving
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:
- Complete puzzles and games to accomplish a goal.
- Use language and body movements to achieve an outcome.
- Identify and define a problem, including where the problem originated and why.
- Break apart a problem into smaller parts.
- Identify problems in different social contexts, including work, school, home, and friends.
- Sort out conflicts and what to do in social situations.
- Seek guidance from others about what to do.
- Persist in developing new strategies when previous attempts fail.
Problem Solving and Challenging Behavior
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.
How to Evaluate Problem Solving Skills
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:
- Conduct a behavioral observation. Using the list of behaviors above, observe your child or student when they encounter a problem. Jot down strengths and areas where the process stumbles. Notice what they solve independently and the types of issues that consistently require support.
- Conduct a skills assessment. There are many different tools, checklists, and workbooks (get 20% off our executive functioning workbook with coupon code LSA20) available to evaluate and create goals around executive functioning skills like organization. Many of these assessments and evaluation tools can also help develop SMART goals to target down the road. Download our problem solving skills pre-assessment below and complete it with your child.
- Meet with your child’s care team. Chances are if you’re noticing issues with problem solving skills, your child’s caregivers, teachers, coaches, and family members are also observing similar things. Gather the other stakeholders involved to coordinate and learn more about where problems arise.
- Contact a professional or life skills coach. Not every parent or teacher comes equipped to address problem solving skills. Working with a trained professional with experience in helping children develop and enhance problem solving can help teach new skills more efficiently and effectively.
Further Reading
- Bransford, J. D., and Stein, B. S., “The Ideal Problem Solver” (1993). Centers for Teaching and Technology – Book Library. 46.
- Kern, L., George, M. P., & Weist, M. D. (2016). Supporting students with emotional and behavioral problems. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
- Life Skills Advocate Blog: Executive Function Skills by Age: What to Look For
- Life Skills Advocate Blog: How Teaching Executive Functioning Skills Can Reduce Challenging Behaviors
- Life Skills Advocate Blog: SMART Goal Setting
- Newell, A., & Simon, H. A. (1972). Human problem solving (Vol. 104, No. 9). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.