Embracing Hope Book

Your child might become overwhelmed by multi-step problems, have difficulty imagining different solutions, and give up quickly when faced with open-ended questions. This might manifest in struggling to break down homework assignments into manageable parts, becoming frustrated when asked to brainstorm ideas for a creative writing project, or having trouble planning the sequence of steps needed to complete a science experiment. 

Your teen may also show signs of anxiety or avoidance when confronted with tasks that require flexible thinking or problem-solving skills, particularly when there isn’t a clear “right” answer. These challenges can impact their confidence and willingness to tackle complex academic tasks, especially without support.

Studies indicate that children with FASD and ADHD commonly experience challenges with problem-solving and abstract reasoning (although the exact percentages vary across research). 

Concepts like maps, graphs, or math symbols can feel like a foreign language, making it hard for our kiddos to grasp abstract representations of information and translate visual symbols into meaningful applications, especially without the context of being in the physical location. This disconnect can affect their ability to interpret not just diagrams but also other symbolic information across various subjects.

Research shows that processing abstract symbols and representations is a common challenge for our children, (although specific prevalence rates need further study).

What often happens is that our children struggle with cause-and-effect reasoning. They often have trouble making decisions based on wanting immediate gratification rather than considering long-term consequences because the future is too abstract.

This tendency can impact their ability to plan ahead, learn from past experiences, or understand how their current choices might affect future outcomes in both academic and social situations.

Research indicates that children who have experienced trauma often show difficulties with future-oriented thinking and consequence prediction, (although specific prevalence rates need further study).

Your child may struggle to apply knowledge from one situation to another, such as using a math formula learned in class to solve a similar problem at home.

If your teen struggles to use their skills in new situations—it’s not about defiance or their IQ that is at play. Their brain-wiring doesn’t easily spot or know how different situations connect to each other.

Research shows that both children with FASD and ASD commonly experience challenges with generalizing information across different contexts,5 (although specific prevalence rates need further study).

When your teen focuses on literal, straightforward answers and avoids hypothetical questions, it’s because abstract thinking feels too intangible or confusing. They might resist activities that require imagination or exploring multiple possibilities, preferring concrete, definite answers. This can affect their engagement in creative writing, scientific predictions, or problem-solving exercises where they need to think beyond the immediate and obvious solution to consider alternative approaches or outcomes.

Research indicates that many of our neurodiverse children show a preference for concrete over abstract thinking patterns, (although the exact prevalence varies across diagnoses).