My Opinions

The field of Learning Disabilities has focused on bypassing the weaknesses of children.  The focus has been on working around the difficulties in order to save the child from low self-esteem and ridicule.  Of course, this has been tremendously helpful, no doubt.  But, there are now programs that can actually improve the brain weaknesses that result in the diagnosis of a Learning Disability.  As a result, these brain weaknesses can now be trained, so that they are no longer significant problems.   The underlying causes of a learning disability can be dealt with directly.  It is now time to seriously look into these cognitive remediation programs.

I have been involved in the Arrowsmith Program, created and designed by Barbara Young.  This program has been in use in Toronto for the last 30 years at the Arrowsmith School.  Currently, I have been using the program at the Eaton Arrowsmith School on the University of British Columbia campus.  The reason to bring it to the UBC campus was to attract researchers who are interested in studying Learning Disabilities and Neuroplasticity.  Over the last 4 years of operation the results of the EAS graduates have been positive, and further creating interested in Vancouver about cognitive remediation of learning disabilites. It is time to open our minds to new possibilities and how the future of children with learning disabilities can be very promising indeed.