How to Solve a Logic Puzzle in Logical Language

Here's a demonstration of the procedures for solving a logic puzzle from Logical Language, which are used by speech-language pathologists to teach language, thinking and executive function skills in adolescents and adults who are diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, autism, cognitive disability, language learning impairment, learning disabilities, stroke, traumatic brain injury and brain tumor resection.

The puzzles are also used by teachers and parents who want to improve the thinking skills of their students or children with typical language skills. Book 1 may be used with ages 10 and up. Books 2 and 3 add more puzzle complexity as users improve their problem-solving skills.

Logical Language is ideal for working on skills that affect daily performance but may not show up on standardized tests. The puzzle format motivates users to learn and practice skills that have been unsuccessful in past contexts. The wide range of difficulty levels allows professionals to use the materials for dynamic assessment as well as intervention.

Logical Language includes a 22-page user manual that includes instructions for assessment and intervention, recording forms for assessment and progress monitoring, the theoretical and research base of the methods, and a comprehensive list of language, thinking and executive function skills addressed in the series.

The manual also includes instructions for how to use the puzzles for dynamic assessment, and how to mediate specific thinking and executive function skills.

The three books increase in difficulty level by increasing the cognitive load, using puzzles that increase the number of details that must be managed. Each book target these language skills:

Book 1 – comparative & superlative; conditional, quantity & size; exclusion & inclusion; inferences; cardinal directions; left & right directions; before & after sequencing; ordinal sequencing; prepositional phrases

Book 2 – comparative & superlative; conditional, exclusion & inclusion; cardinal directions; left & right directions; before & after sequencing; ordinal sequencing; cataphora; compound sentences

Book 3 – comparative & superlative; conditional, exclusion & inclusion; cardinal directions; left & right directions; before & after sequencing; ordinal sequencing; cataphora; compound & complex sentences sentences, including cataphora and relative clauses

These thinking skill targets are included in all three books: consider the listener's point of view, draw conclusions, follow a step-by-step procedure to complete a task, make deductions, make inferences, recognize a need for more information, use a process of elimination to determine an answer, use a uniform system for recording answers, and use visuals to support verbal processing.

These executive function targets are included in each book: check work for completeness and accuracy, increase cognitive flexibility, inhibit impulsive responding, pay attention to details, self-monitor performance while responding, sustain attention to complete a task, tolerate frustration or errors, and use multiple pieces of information in working memory.

Logical Language is available from Everything SLP at www.everythingslp.com