As we all learn to live in a Global world and make the transition into the Information Age, the ability to reason is essential. The Ability to Reason is literally, “the use of the cognitive mental powers needed to think, reflect, make decisions, work and apply choice”. It’s now an art-based cognitive skills class. The Ability to Reason Class is currently taught for Court Services in Goodhue County, MN as an innovative approach for early offenders in the Criminal Justice System. After two years, we have an 81% non-recidivism rate. This class has been adapted for use by school Social Workers and Special Ed teachers, plus another adaptation for 12 Steppers in recovery. It is also excellent for parents with pre-teen children in “Surviving Middle School”. The reason this approach is so effective is because it is based on developmental and experiential learning.
