{"id":13595,"date":"2025-12-02T14:30:36","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T14:30:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ablestarsabatest2.bycws.com\/?p=13595"},"modified":"2025-12-02T14:30:38","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T14:30:38","slug":"flexible-thinking-to-rigid-thinkers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ablestarsabatest2.bycws.com\/es\/blog\/flexible-thinking-to-rigid-thinkers\/","title":{"rendered":"What is &#8216;Flexible Thinking&#8217; and How Can We Teach It to Rigid Thinkers?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Flexible thinking is the ability to adapt to new situations, consider different perspectives, and shift strategies when needed. It is a crucial skill that helps individuals solve problems, manage change, and interact socially. For <a href=\"https:\/\/ablestarsabatest2.bycws.com\/es\/blog\/rigid-aba\/\">rigid thinkers<\/a>\u2014those who prefer routine and struggle with change\u2014developing flexible thinking can improve daily functioning and reduce stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How can we <a href=\"https:\/\/moveupaba.com\/blog\/flexible-thinking\/\">teach flexible thinking<\/a> to rigid thinkers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Start Small with Choices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Offering simple choices empowers rigid thinkers to practice decision-making and adaptability. For example, let your child choose between two snacks or activities, gradually increasing complexity over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Use Visual Supports<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Visual schedules and social stories help explain changes and new routines. These tools make transitions predictable and less overwhelming, encouraging mental flexibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Practice Problem-Solving<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Engage in activities where children explore multiple solutions to a problem. Role-playing different scenarios boosts creativity and helps them see alternatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Model Flexible Thinking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Demonstrate how you adapt to unexpected changes calmly and positively. Children learn by watching adults navigate challenges with an open mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Flexible Thinking Autism Goals: Teaching Flexibility to Children with Autism\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FMfnPAsMPcE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Research shows that teaching flexible thinking through <a href=\"https:\/\/ablestarsabatest2.bycws.com\/es\/blog\/the-science-behind-aba-therapy\/\">Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) techniques<\/a> leads to measurable improvements in adaptive behavior for children with autism and related challenges. Families working with <a href=\"https:\/\/ablestarsabatest2.bycws.com\/es\/\"><strong>Able Stars ABA<\/strong><\/a> in Maryland report noticeable progress as their children become more comfortable with change and explore new ideas safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is the question \u201cWhat is &#8216;flexible thinking&#8217; and how can we teach it to rigid thinkers?\u201d answered clearly here? Yes\u2014with actionable strategies supported by research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For personalized ABA therapy designed to foster flexible thinking and many other skills, <a href=\"https:\/\/ablestarsabatest2.bycws.com\/es\/contact\/\">contact Able Stars ABA<\/a>. We\u2019re committed to helping your child grow with compassion and expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if my child resists change completely?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Consistency, patience, and gradual exposure can ease resistance while building flexible thinking skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How long does it take to see improvement?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Results vary, but regular practice and reinforcement often show positive changes within weeks to months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Sources:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/childmind.org\/article\/helping-kids-with-flexible-thinking\/\"><em>https:\/\/childmind.org\/article\/helping-kids-with-flexible-thinking\/<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.understood.org\/en\/articles\/6-ways-kids-use-flexible-thinking-to-learn\"><em>https:\/\/www.understood.org\/en\/articles\/6-ways-kids-use-flexible-thinking-to-learn<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/parents\/thrive\/flexible-thinking-how-to-encourage-kids-to-go-with-the-flow\"><em>https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/parents\/thrive\/flexible-thinking-how-to-encourage-kids-to-go-with-the-flow<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Flexible thinking is the ability to adapt to new situations, consider different perspectives, and shift strategies when needed. It is a crucial skill that helps individuals solve problems, manage change, and interact socially. For rigid thinkers\u2014those who prefer routine and struggle with change\u2014developing flexible thinking can improve daily functioning and reduce stress. How can we&#8230;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13596,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ablestarsabatest2.bycws.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13595","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ablestarsabatest2.bycws.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ablestarsabatest2.bycws.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ablestarsabatest2.bycws.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ablestarsabatest2.bycws.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13595"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ablestarsabatest2.bycws.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13595\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ablestarsabatest2.bycws.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ablestarsabatest2.bycws.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ablestarsabatest2.bycws.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ablestarsabatest2.bycws.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}