Our Approach
Ways we are improving the brain’s capacity to learn.
The Eaton Arrowsmith Approach.
At Eaton Arrowsmith, students can work on academic programs and complete a series of cognitive exercises to help them strengthen their brains and address the weaknesses that cause their learning difficulties. Research has shown that the Arrowsmith Program improves within and between large scale brain network connectivity. This is the common neurological concern amongst a wide range of learning difficulties and not just Learning Disabilities.
At our onsite locations in Vancouver, British Columbia and Redmond, Washington our students can receive both academic and cognitive programming during our full-time program. The academic program covers Math, Language Arts and Integrated Studies (i.e., STEM, Social Studies, Fine Arts).
Our online program focuses exclusively on improving cognitive capacity. There are up to 150 students from 22 countries working with our highly experienced team. The online program started in 2019 and has been successful in reaching families that cannot access our onsite locations due to demographics.
Our Center for Neuroeducation operates on the science of neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to strengthen over time with targeted training. This sets us apart from other schools or centers for individuals with learning difficulties. We don’t teach kids, teens and adults to work around their weaknesses. Instead, we help them address them. We focus on changing brain capacity. This needs to be the first line of intervention for neurodiverse individuals including those with Learning Disabilities, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder and Concussion or Brain Injury. It’s also an option for adults looking to improve cognitive health as they age. Indeed, cognitive enhancement can also be a focus for anyone wishing to improve their cognition.
Over a 40+ year history, Arrowsmith graduates have returned to public and private schools and the workforce with an increased capacity to learn. Our students or clients go on to complete university degrees, find employment in their chosen fields and pursue their dreams.
The Arrowsmith Program.
Think of the Arrowsmith Program like exercise for the brain. Going to the gym has countless benefits for a person’s muscles, heart and overall health. Cognitive exercises have a similar effect: they get the brain into shape so it has a greater capacity to absorb information. Each student’s brain is unique and has different strengths and weaknesses. Anyone, regardless of age, can strengthen their brain using intensive and graduated mental exercises and overcome their learning difficulties. What's more is that, unlike with physical exercises, one does not need to continue "working out" indefinitely to continue to see results. The brain's new capacities are used throughout all areas of one's daily life, promoting further growth and benefits even after you complete the program.
Barbara Arrowsmith-Young founded the Arrowsmith School in 1980. Born with learning disabilities that caused teachers to label her slow and stubborn, she used her excellent memory and work ethic to get through school. Arrowsmith-Young then created a series of exercises that helped her address her own brain deficits. The Arrowsmith School has now used these exercises for more than 40 years.
For additional information on Barbara Arrowsmith-Young, please visit her biography page or consult her book, The Woman Who Changed Her Brain.
“Having a learning disability absolutely is not a life sentence. You can strengthen very particular parts of the brain to allow them to function and it’s amazing when it happens.”
— Barbara Arrowsmith-Young
Founder of Arrowsmith Program
Principles.
Eaton Arrowsmith works collaboratively to ensure the wellbeing and safety of our students through Nonviolent Communication, mindfulness practices, and the importance of strong community relationships, which foster a safe school environment. We strongly believe that every student deserves an education free from discrimination, bullying, harassment, intimidation and violence. Our goal is to create a community where each child feels safe, accepted and respected, regardless of their gender, race, culture, religion or sexual orientation.
Eaton Arrowsmith School Vancouver staff members have received ERASE (Expect Respect & a Safe Education) training and implement and support the use of this important program in our schools.
Vision.
Empowering positive change.
Mission.
To provide compassionate learning communities, built on integrity, trust, and growth, that empower positive change.
Core Behaviors.
Fairness
Immediacy
Respect
Safety
Trust
The Cognitive Capacities We Improve
Our programs help students address the following types of learning difficulties. Select a type below to learn more.
“Please don’t erase that blackboard yet.”
Messy handwriting, miscopying, misreading, irregular spelling, speech rambling, careless written errors in mathematics, and poor written performance.
“I just don’t get it.”
Difficulty with reading comprehension, trouble with mathematical reasoning, trouble with logical reasoning, difficulty reading an analog clock, problem understanding cause and effect, reversals of ‘b’ – ‘d’; ‘p’ – ‘q’ (younger students and in more severe cases).
“I have a memory like a sieve.”
Trouble remembering oral instructions, difficulty following lectures or extended conversations, problem acquiring general information through listening.
“My words don’t always come out in the right order.”
Problem putting information into one’s own words, speaking in incomplete sentences, difficulty using internal speech to work out consequences, trouble following long sentences, breakdown of steps in mathematical procedures.
“People say I mumble.”
Mispronouncing words, avoiding using words because of uncertainty of pronunciation, limited ability to learn and use phonics, difficulty learning foreign languages, difficulty thinking and talking at the same time, flat and monotone speech with lack of rhythm and intonation.
“I’m sorry. Could you repeat that?”
Mishearing words and thus misinterpreting information, difficulty understanding someone with an accent, extra effort required to listen to speech.
“Planning was never my strong suit.”
Problem being self-directed and self-organized in learning, limited mental initiative, difficulty keeping attention relevantly oriented to the demands of a task necessary for completion, difficulty thinking, planning, problem solving, trouble seeing the main point.
“I was never a great reader.”
Poor word recognition, slow reading, difficulty with spelling, trouble remembering symbol patterns such as mathematical or chemical equations.
“I’m not good at remembering the names of things.”
Problem with associative memory, trouble following auditory information, trouble learning names of things such as animals, places, people, colours, days of the week.
“I am such a klutz.”
Awkward body movements, bumping into objects due to not knowing where body is in space relative to objects, uneven handwriting with variable pressure.
“I slur my words sometimes.”
Lack of a clear articulation of speech, some speech slurring.
“I’m just not good at reading people.”
Problem interpreting non-verbal information such as body language, facial expression and voice tone, weak social skills, difficulty perceiving and interpreting one’s own emotions, difficulty thinking, planning, problem solving non-verbally.
“My eyes hurt when I read.”
Slow, jerky reading with errors, eyes fatigue when reading, problem navigating in the dark.
“Have we met?”
Trouble finding objects, problem remembering visual cues such as landmarks, difficulty remembering faces and recalling the visual details of pictures.
“I am forever getting lost.”
Frequently getting lost, losing objects, messy and disorganized workspace, trouble constructing geometric figures.
“I’m not handy.”
Difficulty understanding the mechanical properties of objects, problems constructing or repairing machinery such as taking apart and putting together a bicycle or repairing a car.
“I couldn’t program the PVR to save my life.”
Trouble understanding the proper sequence of steps in a task such as sewing, cooking or computer programming.
“My reaction time is a bit slow.”
Poor muscle tone, which results in some degree of awkwardness and slowness of body movement.
“I’m not a numbers person.”
Finger counting, trouble retaining numbers in one’s head, difficulty making change, problem learning math facts, poor sense of time management, difficulty with time signature in music.
What Our Students Say
Watch these video testimonials from Eaton Arrowsmith students.
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DID YOU KNOW?
A student with learning disabilities can lose $700,000+ in lifelong earnings if you don’t act to improve their brain’s capacity.
In 2018, Statistics Canada published an article entitled, “Canadians with disabilities: A demographic, employment and income profile, 2017.” The article noted, “Among youth with disabilities who were neither in school nor employed, 87% had a mental health-related disability, a learning disability, or both.” Finally, “Since those with mental health-related and/or learning disabilities accounted for 77% of youth with disabilities, this suggests they are disproportionately affected when it comes to being neither in school nor employed.”