Building Blocks of Flexibility: A Lego Lover's Lesson

Several years ago, I worked with a family whose child, an elementary school student, absolutely loved Legos. One day, as a reward, he earned the opportunity to go to the mall and pick out a new Lego set. Excited, his dad packed them up, and off they went to the Lego store.

But when they arrived, they were met with an unexpected obstacle—the store was closed for a private function, and only event attendees were allowed inside. This was devastating news for the child, and he became extremely dysregulated. He had been expecting one specific outcome, and when that wasn’t possible, it became overwhelming.

This experience reminded me just how difficult cognitive flexibility can be for some students. Cognitive flexibility is the ability to think about something in a different way or shift when things don’t go as planned. In this case, the child was locked into a singular plan: go to the mall, buy a Lego set, and go home happy. When that plan didn’t work, there was no backup—only disappointment.

The Power of an A/B Schedule
One effective way to support children who struggle with cognitive flexibility is to establish an A/B schedule. This means setting up two options in advance so that if one doesn’t work out, there’s already a second plan in place.

For this family, I suggested that their A Schedule be going to the mall to buy the Lego set. However, if that wasn’t possible—whether the store was closed, out of stock, or had another restriction—the B Schedule would be to go home and order it online instead. This way, their child had clear expectations for both possible scenarios, reducing the likelihood of emotional dysregulation when faced with an unexpected change.

To make A/B scheduling even easier, I recently found a fantastic tool called the Mover Combo by Bravestorming. This small, magnetic board allows families to visually display an A/B schedule, making it a great portable solution. I’ll be sharing a picture of it, as I believe it could be incredibly useful in situations like this. Having a tangible, visual representation of options can provide reassurance and help children feel more in control of the situation.

By preparing students with flexible thinking strategies, we can help them navigate life’s unpredictability with greater ease and confidence.

Enhance Your Skills with Our 'Mastering EF' Course

If you're interested in learning how to navigate scenarios like this and support cognitive flexibility, consider joining our 'Mastering EF' course. The next cohort is scheduled to begin on April 21. However, if we receive five sign-ups (some from our waiting list have already expressed interest), we will start the course earlier. This is a great opportunity to deepen your understanding and equip yourself with practical tools to support cognitive flexibility. Register ​here​