As an SLP one of the most important aspects of my job is figuring out where to start therapy. There are many different ways people may approach this, but as SLPs we are often taught to look at a child’s zone of proximal development. For anyone who doesn’t know, the zone of proximal development (ZPD) is the distance between what a child can do independently and what a child can do when aided by an adult or peer. Simple example would be a child is speaking in 2 word phrases but when given an adult model, they can speak in 4-5 word phrases. This is a pretty old concept, first introduced by Vygotsky in the 1970s and it is mentioned often because it essentially reminds SLPs (and many other professionals) to find the place a child is within their development and focus our work/therapy/goals right above what they can do independently. We want to challenge them just enough that they are building skills, but not overwhelm them with tasks/activities that are way outside their current level of development. It’s also why we want to scaffold carefully, so we don’t jump ahead of where a child is because we assume things about their skills, knowledge or background.
Something I see often in my work is other adults - parents, educators, other professionals, at times can feel overwhelmed when I start talking about executive functions. Trying to learn about something so vast and complex can be daunting. I freaking love this stuff and it still feels overwhelming at times. Additionally most people are not only learning about executive functions but trying to apply the material at work or home and aren’t always sure how or where to start.
So, I wanted to introduce y’all to a concept I learned about recently called “the zone of optimal confusion”. Besides being an excellent name for a speciality cocktail lounge (dibs!), the ‘zone of optimal confusion’ is way of looking at confusion as positive and in fact a necessity for learning complex topics. Researcher Sidney D’Mello et al. (2014) has done several studies on confusion and has found that confusion is actually beneficial for learning something new because it,
“jolts the cognitive system out of equilibrium, focuses attention on the anomaly or discrepancy, and motivates learners to effortfully deliberate, problem solve, and restructure their cognitive system in order to resolve the confusion and return to a state of equilibrium.”
This is the face of a creature who is confused yet intrigued. I can relate.
Essentially the ‘right’ amount of confusion motivates us to stop and think, sustain attention on difficult concepts/topics and even find new solutions for problems we have struggled with in the past (Brown, 2022). Now, just like ZPD you have to find the right zone. Too much or too little confusion results in people tuning out, as their brains are either overloaded with information and learning feels impossible or they simply aren’t interested enough to put in the effort to learn. Anyone reading can likely think of examples of this happening with their students/clients/children. Many of the current standard practices in schools and my field don’t meet children where they are and so they are not in the ‘optimal zone of confusion’. They are in the place where learning feels like a hill that’s too steep and everyone else is at the top, yelling at them to keep up without helping them actually see the steps necessary to climb.
In fact one of the main tenants of work I’ve studied created by Tera Sumpter is making detailed concrete plans, so that we can help children be less confused about what to do, what's expected and how to plan effectively. But what makes a good plan, where should we start, what works and what doesn’t, what if we forget a step, what should you do when the plan doesn’t work? Those are all elements of this work that may leave a child (and clinician!) in the zone of optimal confusion. The place where we don’t have the answers, but we are motivated enough to dig deeper to find them.
So whether you are learning about executive functions or simply trying to make the perfect chocolate chip cookie for the 40th time, remember, confusion is a part of learning. In fact D’Mello found repeatedly that periods of confusion are the rule, and not the exception when trying to learn complex topics. If you feel you are outside of your optimal zone, that’s ok too! Post a question below, message a buddy, or just take a break to give your brain time to absorb all the new information you are learning. The same applies when are helping your own children learn something new. Or to SLPs and other professionals when you trying to incorporate a new approach in therapy or are working in a new setting, remember to give yourself grace. Learning doesn’t happen all at once. Finding the optimal zone for your kids or clients or yourself will take time, trial and error and patience.
As adults, especially in the SLP field, we seem to think we should always just ‘know’. Know what to do with every person we treat, know the best approach right away, know how to build rapport with everyone, know how to take information we learn in a CEU and immediately apply it and on and on.
Take this as a reminder that not knowing everything is what makes you stronger. That being confused while continuing to try also means that you are learning new and complex information and your brain is already forming new pathways. It is also why I love learning from other professionals and from the clients I serve, because everyone brings their own incredible insights, experiences and ideas that are only discovered after they’ve allowed themselves to be confused.
So what do you think? How do you feel when you are confused? Do you think confusion is part of learning?
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References:
Brown, B. (2022). Atlas of the heart: Mapping meaningful connection and the language of human experience. Random House Large Print.
D’Mello, S., Lehman, B., Pekrun, R., & Graesser, A. (2014). Confusion can be beneficial for learning. Learning and Instruction, 29, 153–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2012.05.003
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