Answer to the Brain Teaser:

He’s playing Monopoly.

 

The “car,” the “hotel,” the “bankrupt” moment — it all snaps together once you zoom out and see the hidden rule.

It’s obvious after the reveal…
but most teens don’t see it immediately.

And that tells us something powerful about how they read and process meaning.

Why This Tiny Puzzle Reveals About Your Teen's Reading Brain

Literal thinkers — including many ADHD, autistic, dyslexic, PDA, and sensory-sensitive teens — read exactly what’s in front of them.

 

They follow the surface meaning first.

 

This is why your teen might:

 

  • understand a story
    …but get stuck on deeper “why/how” questions

  • recall facts
    …but struggle to explain a character’s intention

  • read fluently
    …but freeze when asked to infer meaning

  • answer logically
    …but miss the “twist” or unspoken context

 

Nothing is wrong.

They’re not behind.

Their brain is simply following the rules as written, not the hidden rules behind the text.

 

The riddle demonstrates this perfectly.

 

The Hidden Skill Strong Readers Build

Students who shift easily between literal meaning → deeper meaning feel more confident with:

  • short-answer questions

  • reading comprehension

  • analysing themes

  • interpreting quotes

  • understanding character motivation

  • answering abstract “why does this matter?” questions

This is the exact shift that many ND teens need support with.

And the good news?

It’s a skill — not a talent.

It can be taught.

With the right scaffolds.

Why This Matters for Writing, Too

When an ND teen struggles with deeper meaning in reading, they also usually struggle when asked to:

  • explain an idea

  • make an argument

  • analyse a quote

  • write about “why” something happened

Writing requires meaning-making.

Meaning-making requires context.

And ND teens often need a clearer, safer, more structured on-ramp to get there.

That’s exactly what the next step provides.

A smoother way forward for ND readers and thinkers

If your teen is:

  • a literal thinker

  • overwhelmed by open-ended questions

  • anxious around schoolwork

  • struggling to turn understanding into words

  • bright but stuck

  • or learning differently and needs a system that respects that…

Then the ND Writing Confidence tools build the structure they need to:

  • make meaning

  • organise ideas

  • write with confidence

  • start without freezing

  • and shift between literal → deeper thinking without overwhelm

You can take a look at the full breakdown here:

👉 See what’s inside the ND Writing Confidence Bundle

Learn More
Answer to the Brain Teaser:

He’s playing Monopoly.

 

The “car,” the “hotel,” the “bankrupt” moment — it all snaps together once you zoom out and see the hidden rule.

It’s obvious after the reveal…
but most teens don’t see it immediately.

And that tells us something powerful about how they read and process meaning.

Why This Tiny Puzzle Reveals About Your Teen's Reading Brain

Literal thinkers — including many ADHD, autistic, dyslexic, PDA, and sensory-sensitive teens — read exactly what’s in front of them.

 

They follow the surface meaning first.

 

This is why your teen might:

 

  • understand a story
    …but get stuck on deeper “why/how” questions

  • recall facts
    …but struggle to explain a character’s intention

  • read fluently
    …but freeze when asked to infer meaning

  • answer logically
    …but miss the “twist” or unspoken context

 

Nothing is wrong.

They’re not behind.

Their brain is simply following the rules as written, not the hidden rules behind the text.

 

The riddle demonstrates this perfectly.

 

The Hidden Skill Strong Readers Build

Students who shift easily between literal meaning → deeper meaning feel more confident with:

  • short-answer questions

  • reading comprehension

  • analysing themes

  • interpreting quotes

  • understanding character motivation

  • answering abstract “why does this matter?” questions

This is the exact shift that many ND teens need support with.

And the good news?

It’s a skill — not a talent.

It can be taught.

With the right scaffolds.

Why This Tiny Puzzle Reveals Something Big About Writing

The riddle isn’t about being clever.


It’s about noticing patterns, slowing down enough to make meaning, and feeling safe enough to take a guess.

 

For a lot of ND teens — ADHD, dyslexic, autistic, PDA, anxious, literal thinkers — this is the part that trips them up in writing too:

 

They understand the idea
…but the words get in the way.


They know the answer
…but can’t always pull the pieces together fast enough.


They want to get it right
…so they freeze, rush, or shut down.

 

This isn’t a motivation issue.
This is a thinking-pattern issue.

And thinking patterns = trainable.

Why This Matters for Writing, Too

When an ND teen struggles with deeper meaning in reading, they also usually struggle when asked to:

  • explain an idea

  • make an argument

  • analyse a quote

  • write about “why” something happened

Writing requires meaning-making.

Meaning-making requires context.

And ND teens often need a clearer, safer, more structured on-ramp to get there.

That’s exactly what the next step provides.

A smoother way forward for ND readers and thinkers

If your teen is:

  • a literal thinker

  • overwhelmed by open-ended questions

  • anxious around schoolwork

  • struggling to turn understanding into words

  • bright but stuck

  • or learning differently and needs a system that respects that…

Then the ND Writing Confidence tools build the structure they need to:

  • make meaning

  • organise ideas

  • write with confidence

  • start without freezing

  • and shift between literal → deeper thinking without overwhelm

You can take a look at the full breakdown here:

👉 See what’s inside the ND Writing Confidence Bundle

Learn More