THE ARROWSMITH PROGRAM
Welcome to the world of Neuroplasticity and the Arrowsmith Program!
Neuroplasticity simply means the ability of the brain to change.
Neuroplasticity, also known as brain plasticity, is the brain’s ability to change both its physical structure and its functional organization in response to training and experience.
The philosophy that the learner is not fixed, but can be modified through the application of the principles of neuroplasticity, sets the Arrowsmith Program apart from the majority of other programs for students with learning difficulties.
For almost four decades, Arrowsmith Program founder Barbara Arrowsmith Young has argued that when the brain is stimulated in precise ways, its physiology and function change and cognitive deficits can be addressed. Barbara’s own life story (told in her bestselling book, The Woman Who Changed Her Brain) is ample evidence of this, for she overcame her own quite severe learning disabilities by applying those principles to herself and devising – and, over decades, revising — specific, targeted brain exercises.
The goal of the Arrowsmith Program is to identify, intervene and strengthen areas of cognitive weakness that affect learning. It deals with the root causes of a learning disability, rather than managing its symptoms. The goal of the Arrowsmith Program is for everyone with learning disabilities to become effective, confident and self-directed learners for life.
*Extract taken from the Arrowsmith website.
Did you know that learning difficulties don’t have to be permanent?
Check out Barbara's Tedx Talk below!
What is the Arrowsmith Program?
In summary, the Arrowsmith Program is a suite of cognitive programs designed to address a series of cognitive functions underlying a range of specific learning difficulties. The programs target several areas of cognitive functioning involved in learning.
Each cognitive program has a series of intensive and graduated tasks designed to address a specific area of cognitive functioning. The goal of the Arrowsmith Program is to identify and strengthen a series of weak cognitive areas that affect learning, and each student works on cognitive programs that are individually designed for their areas of learning difficulty.
Upon completion of the program, the student's increased learning capacities support efficient and effective self-directed learning.