Critical thinking skills are essential for learning and communication. Some children with autism have who have rigid thinking patterns may struggle to develop these skills.
At Education Alternatives OH, we strive to teach critical thinking for kids regardless of academic and developmental differences. With the right modeling and instructional process, we believe all children can become critical thinkers.
What are critical thinking skills?
Defining critical thinking can be a challenge. The University of Louisville defines it this way:
“Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.”
In other words, critical thinking requires the analysis of information in order to guide beliefs and decisions. Critical thinking skills aren’t inherent — they must be taught.
Do autistic people have critical thinking skills?
Neither autistic nor neurotypical children are born with critical thinking skills. We can, however, be taught skills necessary for critical thinking.
Differences in brain function and processing may make it more difficult for autistic children to learn these skills, but with the right modeling and guidance, they can master critical thinking.
The key is to use the right therapy and instructional techniques to actively teach critical thinking to these autistic students, rather than expecting them to pick up on it independently.
How to teach critical thinking for kids on the autism spectrum
Teaching critical thinking for kids on the autism spectrum requires careful, systematic planning.
ABA therapy
For autistic children in particular, ABA therapy is an essential part of developing critical thinking skills. The core principles of ABA help build the thinking skills necessary for critical thinking. For example, ABA focuses on:
- Promoting flexible thinking
- Actively introducing problem-solving
- Using real-life settings to showcase the importance of flexible thinking
- Targeting executive functioning deficits to enhance problem-solving capacities
At Education Alternatives, our students on the autism spectrum participate in ABA therapy while in school. Teachers also learn the strategies they need to implement therapy techniques in the classroom. Integrated ABA helps set autistic kids up for success.
Impulse control
Neurodiverse children often struggle to control emotional and behavioral impulses. Before we can teach critical thinking, we will focus on teaching this type of control.
Impulse control is a foundational skill required for disciplined, thoughtful responses, a key component of critical thinking. Using ABA and behavioral therapy, which is ingrained into the school day, we can help children gain this essential skill.
Communication skills
Critical thinking requires students to be able to communicate their thoughts. Communication skills underpin reasoning and expressing thought, helping to bridge the gap between thought and expression of thought.
Through speech therapy designed specifically for autistic kids, our schools are able to provide students with this essential skill. Building communication skills must occur before moving on to building critical thinking skills. When armed with solid communication, many autistic kids are able to communicate their own internal thinking processes.
Think-alouds
Think-alouds are teaching times when teachers verbalize their thought processes. For instance, a teacher may be reading a text with students and will stop and say, “This made me wonder. . .” and share a thought they have.
When students hear the teacher verbalize these thoughts, especially when a similar pattern of questions and thoughts occurs, they may start to absorb the thinking process.
Problem-based learning
Ohio teaching standards emphasize the importance of problem-solving, an essential critical thinking skill. In particular, Standard 4.6 says, “Teachers create and select activities that are designed to help students develop as independent learners and complex problem-solvers.”
To achieve this, Education Alternatives educators use problem-based learning in the classroom. This approach encourages children to solve problems, rather than just learn facts. Teachers explain problems and concepts, then give children the tools to solve them, often in groups. Along the way, students pick up critical thinking skills.
Project-based learning
Similar to problem-based learning, project-based learning allows students to work on a project while applying critical thinking skills. This style of learning is helpful because it gives the students a tangible result — the finished project — to work toward.
Project-based learning is typically a long-form process. Students work for a period of time to finish their project and report their findings. Teachers serve as guides, helping the students stay on task while also providing prompts that will help them think critically about the project.
With the right support and therapy in the classroom and school setting, many autistic children can participate in and complete projects. The critical thinking and communication skills they gain in the process are critical to fulfilling adult lives.
Instructing with stories
Stories, including social stories, can be effective teaching tools for all children, especially those who are neurodiverse. By exploring the thoughts and actions of characters, teachers can exhibit critical thinking in a safe environment.
Teachers choose stories that connect to a child’s lived experiences. These concrete examples are more effective with neurodiverse children.
How parents & teachers can collaborate to build thinking skills
Both parents and teachers need to collaborate to build thinking skills in children with disabilities, such as autism.
Keep these tenets of healthy teacher-parent communication in mind when supporting autistic learners:
- Communicate: Parents and teachers need to communicate what’s working and what’s not. Staying in frequent communication will solidify the skills the children are learning. Learn more about parent-teacher communication strategies here.
- Be consistent: If parents use the same strategies at home as we use at school, it reinforces the thought patterns their children need to become critical thinkers.
- Model: Modeling critical thinking at home will further reinforce what we are teaching at school. Thinking out loud, for instance, can model how you use critical thinking in day-to-day life.
- Share: If a strategy seems to be working at home, share it with your child’s teachers, and the teachers can do the same.
So, what does this look like at home in a practical way? Parents who are collaborating with their children’s teachers to build critical thinking can do the following:
- Speak thoughts out loud. This helps children see what their parents are thinking, and when teachers also think out loud, it can establish patterns of thought.
For example, when you’re cooking, you might say:
“I’m looking for the spoon. Hmm… I can’t find it in this drawer. Maybe I put it in the dishwasher. Let’s check there!”
This shows your child how you solve small problems step by step.
Or, as you get ready to leave the house, you could say:
“It’s cloudy outside. I think I’ll bring an umbrella, just in case it rains.”
By speaking your thoughts, your child begins to understand how people connect ideas and make decisions.
- Ask questions. If your child has sufficient communication skills to answer, use questions to see what their thought processes are. Then, guide their thinking toward more critical thinking.
For instance, while building with blocks, try asking:
“What do you think will happen if we put this big block on top?”
Let your child answer, then guide their thinking:
“You’re right! It might fall because it’s heavier. What could we do to make it stronger?”
Or, when watching a short video together, you might ask:
“Why do you think the character did that?”
If your child isn’t sure, gently explore the idea:
“Maybe he felt sad because his friend left. What would you do if that happened?”
- Use stories. Read to your children, and vocalize what characters might be thinking. Use stories that relate to their lived experiences to help solidify these ideas in their thinking.
After reading, pause and say:
“I think the bear felt nervous about trying something new. Have you ever felt like that when going somewhere new?”
This helps your child connect emotions and experiences.
You can also make up short, real-life stories:
“Once there was a little boy who didn’t want to brush his teeth… but he found out his toothbrush could make bubbles!”
Stories like these make routines more engaging and meaningful.
- Expect the best. Don’t underestimate the thinking abilities of your child. When you start modeling and questioning, you will see that your child has complex thought processes!
When your child shares an idea, respond with curiosity:
“That’s an interesting thought! Tell me more about how you figured that out.”
This shows you value their thinking and creativity.
Give small challenges that show your belief in their abilities:
“I know this puzzle looks tricky, but you’re really good at noticing patterns. Let’s see what you find!”
When they succeed, celebrate their effort:
“You worked hard to figure that out — you have great ideas!”
Partner with Education Alternatives to teach critical thinking skills!
Teaching an autistic student critical thinking skills is possible with the right training and therapy. If you want to develop these skills in your student, learn how EA Schools and our structured teaching and therapy methods can help.