Problem-Solving Goals & Activities for Speech Therapy
- Stacy Crouse
- Jul 19
- 6 min read
Problem-solving is a key part of our everyday lives. From handling social conflicts to managing disruptions of daily routines, students are bound to face challenges that require flexible thinking, making and evaluating decisions, and emotional regulation.
When problem-solving skills are underdeveloped, it can impact a child’s success in the classroom, relationships with peers, and ability to function independently. Because of the strong connection between language and reasoning, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are uniquely positioned to support students in building effective problem-solving skills as part of executive functioning development.
In this post:
WHAT IS PROBLEM-SOLVING?
Problem-solving is the ability to recognize a challenge, identify possible solutions, and take action to resolve the issue. Students may encounter problems at home, during the school day, or anywhere in everyday life.
These problems can arise in social situations, academic tasks, or community activities. Whether it’s navigating a disagreement, identifying when and how to ask for help, or deciding what to do when plans change, students need flexible thinking and effective communication to respond appropriately.
As SLPs know, language skills are closely tied to problem-solving abilities. In all parts of daily life, we use language to identify and express problems, think through possible solutions, and explain our reasoning.
Students with diagnoses such as autism, ADHD, traumatic brain injuries, and language disorders may have difficulty with problem-solving. This can make daily activities and social interactions feel overwhelming or frustrating without the right support.
ASSESSING PROBLEM-SOLVING IN SPEECH THERAPY
Problem-solving skills encompass a broad set of abilities such as recognizing a problem, generating a possible solution, evaluating outcomes, and adapting when needed. Some students may have difficulty with a specific aspect of problem-solving, such as flexible thinking or understanding cause and effect, while others may demonstrate a more global deficit that affects their functioning across multiple settings.
SLPs can assess problem-solving in many ways. Formal (standardized) measures, including...
The Test of Problem Solving-3rd Edition
The Social Language Development Test
The Comprehensive Assessment of Spoken Language-2nd Edition (Supralinguistic and Pragmatic Language tests).
Informal methods include observations, checklists, screeners, student and family interviews, rubrics, role-play scenarios, and dynamic assessment.
SPEECH THERAPY GOALS FOR PROBLEM-SOLVING
After assessment identifies problem-solving strengths and challenges, SLPs can write targeted goals tailored to a student's needs. These are some considerations for speech therapists when writing goals:
Be specific and individualized. Avoid vague or broad objectives, and instead write goals that are specific to each student's area of need. Whether it's applying basic safety measures, recognizing problems, using critical thinking, or managing communication challenges, speech therapy goals should outline exactly what skillset is being targeted.
Use meaningful and functional goals. Goals should aim to improve a student's ability to solve everyday challenges. Whether at home, in school, or in the community, students make the most progress when they can apply problem-solving strategies in meaningful, real-life situations.
Consider age, level, and personal needs and interests. Remember to individualize goals for each student, including their age and developmental level. The child's preferences and personal goals (as well as those of the parents and classroom teacher) should also play a vital role in what's targeted both inside and outside speech therapy sessions.
Sample IEP Goals for Problem Solving:
Use any of these goals as a starting point (adapting as needed, of course) for addressing problem-solving skills in speech therapy with all ages:
Given a familiar social scenario and visual choices, STUDENT will identify the problem and 2+ solutions in 2 out of 3 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions.
When presented with a functional problem (e.g., missing supplies, schedule change), STUDENT will generate 2+ possible solutions in 4 out of 5 opportunities with minimal verbal cues across 3 consecutive sessions.
When presented with a social scenario, STUDENT will explain the cause of a problem and predict a likely consequence with 80% accuracy across 3 consecutive sessions.
When presented with a social scenario, STUDENT will use a problem-solving graphic organizer to independently identify a problem, propose at least 3 possible solutions, and evaluate their likely outcomes in 2 out of 3 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions.
During peer conflict of structured group activities, STUDENT will engage in compromise and negotiation in 3 out of 4 opportunities across 2 consecutive sessions.
STUDENT will identify a response to a real-life or hypothetical unexpected event (e.g., forgetting homework, missing the bus) with 80% accuracy in 3 consecutive sessions.
When given a hypothetical academic situation, STUDENT will identify and rehearse how to self-advocate or ask for help with 80% accuracy across 2 consecutive sessions.
When given a visual and verbal prompt about a common household or school problem (e.g., “The pencil broke”), STUDENT will name an appropriate tool to use (e.g., pencil sharpener) in 4 out of 5 trials with minimal verbal cues across 2 consecutive sessions.
When presented with a scenario involving an internal state (e.g., hunger, fatigue, feeling ill), STUDENT will identify the problem and generate an appropriate solution (e.g., eat a snack, take a break, tell a nurse) with 80% accuracy over 3 consecutive sessions.
During a structured conversation with a peer, STUDENT will identify a communication breakdown (e.g., not being understood, giving unclear directions) and use a repair strategy (e.g., rephrasing, asking a clarifying question) in 3 out of 4 opportunities with moderate cues across 2 consecutive sessions.
PROBLEM-SOLVING ACTIVITIES FOR SPEECH THERAPY
Problem-solving activities can be used in speech therapy to target everything from foundational problem-solving skills with younger children to more complex social communication abilities.
Functional Problem-Solving
Throughout childhood (and life!) people learn how to complete everyday, practical tasks, such as fixing something broken or figuring out how to get in your apartment when you're locked out. Solving these sorts of problems helps students become more independent and safe.
This basic problem-solving activity (also available on Boom) builds on vocabulary development (labeling and identifying object function) by having students choose the appropriate household tool to help in a given situation.
Personal Problem-Solving
Personal problems involve things such as managing overwhelm and coping in anxious situations. These internal challenges involve identifying, labeling, and managing physical and emotional states to function in the day-to-day.
Basic understanding of problems can also be addressed through interoception discussions and exercises. In this digital interoception activity (get it here on Boom), students identify internal problems, such as hunger, fatigue, illness, as well as possible solutions to those problems.
Academic or Language-Based Problem-Solving
Of course there are many problems that arise related to curriculum and learning tasks. Some examples of how a student might engage in language-based problems during their school day include:
Organizing thoughts for an essay
Using context to identify a word's meaning
Making inferences when reading a text
Completing verbal reasoning tasks
Using test-taking strategies
Social Problem-Solving
Finally, problems (big or small) involving friends, family members, classmates, and community members are bound to happen. From repairing miscommunications to respecting others' boundaries to resolving disagreements, being able to act in interpersonal situations is an important skill.
Students can advance their problem-solving abilities by viewing relevant social scenarios. This speech therapy resource uses photos, videos, and/or written descriptions to identify the problem and determine possible solutions. Taking the perspective of others is another important aspect of problem solving, as we often label and respond to the emotions of everyone involved in a situation.
Some students may benefit from intervention focusing on social nuances, such as sarcasm and body language, to help them solve social problems.
Role-playing is a great way to help students explore different types of problems in a safe, structured way. Conversation scripts encourage perspective-taking and flexible thinking as students identify the problem and ways that it could be fixed.
TIPS AND STRATEGIES FOR TARGETING PROBLEM-SOLVING
Here are some practical tips and strategies you can use to help students build and apply their problem-solving skills across a variety of settings:
Model the thought process during both planned problem-solving activities and spontaneous, real-life moments. Narrating your thinking helps students understand how to approach a problem step-by-step.
Embed problem-solving naturally into classroom routines, peer interactions, social groups, and life skills activities. Everyday moments like sharing materials, dealing with changes in plans, or figuring out how to ask for help are all opportunities for practice.
Collaborate with teachers and families to reinforce problem-solving strategies across settings. Share visuals, activities, or cueing techniques so students receive consistent support at school and home.
Teach emotional regulation alongside problem solving, as these are often times when emotions run high. Incorporating calming strategies and self-awareness tools in hypothetical problems can support clearer thinking in actual situations.
Use visual cues and graphic organizers to provide a consistent framework that students can rely on during problem-solving situations. Tools like flowcharts, “If/Then” charts, or problem-solution maps can help students visualize the steps involved.
While this goal area can feel big and overwhelming, don’t underestimate the power of teaching these skills with intention and focused practice. By incorporating these strategies and activities into your sessions, you can help students better navigate the social, academic, and real-world challenges they face every day.
If you have a favorite problem-solving activity or resource, I’d love for you to share it in the comments!
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