Social thinking is our innate ability to think through and apply information to succeed in situations that require social knowledge. Social thinking is a form of intelligence that is key to learning concepts and integrating information across a variety of settings; academic, social, home and community. Limited abilities for learning and/or applying socially relevant information can be considered a social thinking learning disability.

Social thinking challenges do not only reveal them selves during social interactions, but instead they are present during many academic tasks that require highly flexible abstract thinking such as written expression, reading comprehension of literature, organization and planning of assignments, and some students have tremendous difficulty learning math skills. Thus persons with significant difficulties relating to others interpersonally often have related academic struggles in the classroom particularly as they get older. Typically, we start to require more creative thinking, flexibility and organizational skills to succeed in the class room curriculum starting in 3rd/4thgrade. Some students begin to show struggles at that time, while other students manage to hold it together until middle school. It is very common for students to develop academic problems only when they become older even when it is determined that this person is “quitebright” according to psycho-educational measures.

In adulthood, social thinking challenges are ever present in college, the workplace and in family life. Society is geared toward independence in both social and organizational functioning, with little to no support for those who are unable to navigate independently. Consequently, adults with social cognitive deficits are often plagued with mental health issues like anxiety and depression, leading to problems maintaining a job and developing and maintaining relationships in and outside their family.

To learn more about social thinking visit socialthinking.com