Judah Axe, Ph.D. Teaching Problem Solving to Students with Autism | 1 Hour

Problem solving is defined as manipulating stimuli to increase the probability of arriving at a solution to a problem. When faced with a problem, such as a math problem, a question about a past event, or a question about driving directions, an individual arrives at a solution by engaging in a few behaviors, such as working out the problem on paper, asking herself questions, visualizing, or “Googling it.” A challenge of analyzing problem solving is it often occurs covertly, or
within an individual’s skin. The presenter will provide a conceptual analysis of problem solving and present research on using visual imagining, self-questioning, and mobile apps to teach intraverbal categorization, recalling past events, and answering social questions. Behavior analysts should analyze and teach problem solving to produce less rote responding and more generalization.