Our Framework for Results

• detailed testing and identification of 19 learning dysfunctions
• innovative treatment methods which include specialized exercises and computerized programs
• clearly defined and individualized goals
• academic instruction in English and mathematics
• a positive, supportive and structured learning environment
• building self-esteem by developing competence
• low student to teacher ratio

he Arrowsmith Program at the Eaton Arrowsmith School is based on the philosophy that it is possible to treat learning disabilities by identifying and strengthening mental capacities. The Arrowsmith Program is a program of intensive and graduated mental exercises that are designed to strengthen the underlying weak cognitive capacities that are the source of the learning disabilities. Each student's program is based on careful testing and assessment to identify the specific difficulties.

Arrowsmith School in Toronto has developed and successfully used this exercise program with hundreds of students over twenty years. The majority of these students have gone on to realize their academic and personal goals and attribute their successes to our methods.

Can the Arrowsmith Program Benefit Your Child?

Our students are typically of average or above intelligence but are experiencing problems in school which may include difficulties with reading, writing, mathematics, remembering, understanding, dyslexia or A.D.D.

We recommend that parents who find that their child is being held back by learning disabilities review the List of 19 Learning Dysfunctions which appears in the Learning Dysfunctions page of our web site. An abbreviated version of this list also appears in our brochure.

The Admissions and Testing pages of our web site contains additional information to assist families in deciding whether the Arrowsmith Program may benefit their child together with information about contacting Arrowsmith School to arrange an appointment for testing.

Each student is unique in his or her combination of problem areas and our students will usually have problems in five or more of these areas. This list covers the only problem areas that are currently addressed by the Arrowsmith Program.

Theory Underlying the Arrowsmith Program

The brain exercises that are the foundation of the Arrowsmith Program may be thought of as a type of physical therapy for the brain. The goal of the Arrowsmith Program is to strengthen the learning capacities of its students.

The basis of this approach is an understanding of the human brain, its functions and more particularly, its dysfunctions. The Arrowsmith Program's identification of learning dysfunctions is based on the work of the neuropsychologist, A. R. Luria, who investigated the function of specific brain areas.

Luria concluded that complex cognitive activities, such as reading, writing and mathematics, require the interaction of several areas of the brain and that each individual brain area has a very specific role to play. If one brain area that is part of a specific learning activity is impaired, the performance of that learning activity will be impaired in a way particular to the contribution of the weaker brain area. This impairment is the source of a specific learning dysfunction.

The work done at the Arrowsmith School in Toronto has found that individuals identified as "learning disabled" usually have five or more specific areas of learning dysfunction. When several of these areas of the brain are impaired, the individual may be unable to compensate for his or her problems, which will then manifest itself in a learning disability. Please see the Description of 19 Learning Dysfunctions for more information.

The philosophy of the Arrowsmith Program is that these affected brain areas can be improved through strenuous mental exercises, resulting in increased mental capacities and strengthened learning abilities. Our work has shown that when the deficient area is improved, the individual's ability to perform complex tasks such as reading or writing also improves.

In work carried on since 1978, the Arrowsmith school's research in Toronto has identified 19 specific learning dysfunctions which can be addressed by the Arrowsmith Program's methods, including such everyday problems as difficulty with talking and thinking simultaneously, retaining oral information or instructions, problem solving and mental arithmetic.

Each student in the Arrowsmith Program has his or her specific schedule of tasks and exercises to be completed during the course of a day at Eaton Arrowsmith School. The exercises for each student differ depending upon the dysfunctions requiring treatment.

In one instance, a student with an inability to distinguish between similar sounds, such as "hear" and "fear" will be taught to listen to speech sounds drawn from other languages until he/she is able to accurately hear and reproduce the sounds. Repeated practice strengthens the mental capacity to hear and differentiate English speech sounds. The exercises for each dysfunction are repetitive in order to intensely stimulate specific areas of the brain. These exercises are designed to improve the area of learning weakness.

Our primary focus is on younger students. While students of all ages can benefit from the brain strengthening exercises, current research supports that a stage of rapid growth in learning capacity occurs in younger children, and for this reason, younger students typically achieve faster results from our program.

Many individuals consciously engage in mentally stimulating activities, such as playing chess or doing crosswords, to maintain mental sharpness. The Arrowsmith Program relies on the same general principles. Underfunctioning areas of the brain are treated like weak muscles and are intensely stimulated through mental exercises to produce strengthened learning capacities in the specific areas that have been identified, through testing, as weak.

Each exercise has been designed to target a specific area of learning difficulty and each student's program is tailored for that student's particular needs. These include written, visual, auditory and computer exercises. The exercises for each dysfunction are repetitive in order to intensely stimulate specific areas of the brain. Each full-time student attending Eaton Arrowsmith School is tested at the end of each term to assess progress and the student's program is modified as needed.

The goal of the Arrowsmith Program is to help students capitalize on their increased learning capacities and eventually reintegrate them into a regular school at their appropriate grade level following completion of a three to four-year program.

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