I would like to know, why is Barbara Arrowsmith method is only given in english language? Can it be transleted to help also all children that are suffering from learning disabilities. Thank you.

I missed the show ..how can i see it?

MODERATOR'S NOTE: We do not have digital rights to this film so it cannot be offered on the internet. But this was a first run, so it will likely air again this spring. Stay tuned!

I would like to know if there are similar programes in sask.

I had the idea to do a similar documentary 5 years ago when i was 20, i had a friend who completely changed from brain damage, so i would get him to run as i knew that was the only way to grow new brain cells from according to sites on the internet.. (However we can only do so many things in life so i chose a different project which should be finished next year)

I have been following Ms. Arrowsmith since the early 1990s. I was unable to watch your program last night, so I am not certain of how you presented her claims.

After 15 years, there is not yet a single, independent, replicable study that shows any genuine and positive effect from her purported cure. her studentt get better at the tasks she sets them, but it is very debatable whether they actuallly improve at any academic tasks. In some cases that I've encountered, students actually became worse at reading, even though they could copy elaborate figures, etc.

Her "science," as reported on her website, is dated, nonexperimental (Luria) or limited to an examination of brain plasticity associated with behaviour change in neonate rats. I would submit that the behaviour change sought in remediating learning disabilities is at a different level of sophistication, and that we are simply nowhere near there yet.

I was always curious why Ms. Arrowsmith had offices about two blocks from OISE, had dealings with a statistician and a semiotician and never crossed the threshold of the department of instruction, where people worked with learning disabilities. I was there, and I'm pretty certain, that although (as these things should be) she would have been asked to defend her various assertions empirically, she would have been given the opportunity to do so.

The website for the indecently expensive Vancouver program informs parents that their children will likely fall behind their coursework during the year of "treatment" and that, in addition to the expense of initial "assessment" to identify the areas of brain deficit (which have never been experimentally tested nor are they in any way consistent with any current psychological understanding), and the "treatment," parents will have to foot the bill for a tutor to catch their kids up with their grade.

One wonders at this point whether the reported benefits of the program are from the tutor or the repatterning, which smacks strongly of the now discredited but once very popular and luctrative Doman Delcato treatment for children with CP and other neurologically based disorders.

The author of this program had the opportunity to discuss Ms. Arrowsmith's claims with very highly respected reading authorities (who can in fact generally improve students' reading disabilities substantially), but preferred to present the viewer with very dubious, misleading material that will line Ms. Arrowsmith's pockets and do very little for her students.

Elizabeth Bredberg, PhD

I believe the Arrowsmith method can be adapted to assist students of different languages because the cognitive training does not appear to be language specific.
However, from the documentary it seems that more scientific research needs to be conducted to determine its efficacy before being adapted/implemented within school settings. There appear to be many reasons that could account for why it works, and may not have anything to do with the exercises.

Because of a huge demand, please note that this film will be repeating on December 30 at 10 pm ET/PT on CBC Newsworld.

Even among PhDs the concept of neuroplastisity is debated.
It turned out that the world was not flat.
Just as the blind learn brail and stoke victims with permanent damage relearn to speak and walk, the brain can adapt.
Joshua Cohen and Barbara Arrowsmith developed a system of exercise that assists people in strengthening the brain.
Few athletes weight trained for sports such as hockey or football in the 1950s
Yet today those that do not weight train can not compete at the highest levels.
This method of brain exercise translates to the real world just as strength gained in the weight room translates to higher performance on the ice, diamond, gridiron, pool or track.
As in the weight room there are no short cuts to improvement.
It takes time and effort, and in this case large amounts of money.
Those who continue to refer to Ms. Arrowsmith's methed as a scam truly live on a flat world.
They have not seen first hand the gains that are possible.

I have seen the trailer for the Fixing my Brain Documentary on The Lens, http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/docplayer_thelens.html?id=924313018, and I see that a woman states "I think that the Arrowsmith Program is a Fraud". This is very strong language, and I hope that the producers of the documentary properly expose the basis of this woman's opinion, so that we may better judge both her basis as well as the Arrowsmith Program. I understand that the show has aired on Nov.18 and is slated to be re-broadcast on Dec.30, 2008 at 10pm on CBC.

I am the Director of the Eaton Arrowsmith School featured in the documentary Fixing My Brain. I also know Dr. Linda Siegel and her work in learning disabilities. She is the professional accusing Barbara Young of fraud. I am also the individual responsible for setting up research on the Arrowsmith Program with the Brain Research Centre at UBC. It is important to outline my perception of why there is controversy in educational circles about the Arrowsmith Program.

There is no doubt that the Arrowsmith Program appears different, unusual and unfamiliar with many involved in the remediation of learning disabilities. For years, the focus has been on skill or content instruction. That is, the direct teaching of phonics or math calculations to name some interventions. As well, strategy instruction has been used to support children with learning disabilities. Also, accommodations such as extra time on tests, use of computers for written output problems and language exemptions are also utilized to improve the educational outcomes of individuals with learning difficulties. These remediation methods have proven effective in many cases at the school setting. The Arrowsmith Program supports this work and remediation methods. It is not in disagreement with what professionals have done to assist those with learning and attention problems. In fact, at Eaton Arrowsmith School and Arrowsmith School Toronto children receive English and Math instruction. In addition, Eaton Arrowsmith School we also offer individualized phonics instruction called Orton-Gillingham. Barbara Young supports these instructional methods.

The difference with remediation programs currently in place and that of the Arrowsmith Program is the focus on cognitive remediation apparent in children with learning and attention disorders. The Arrowsmith Program is designed to improve cognitive functioning for children and young adults with learning difficulties. Often, these cognitive weaknesses are the root cause of school failure. For example, children with learning disorders cannot keep pace with instruction. Through repetitive brain exercises we have found that children begin to show improvement in these cognitive capacities. This effect is due to the neuroplasticity of the brain. The concept of neuroplasticity is no longer a myth, but founded in ongoing neuroscience research. In fact, the instructional methods in use today actually work due to the neuroplasticity of the brain. We have found that we can improve specific brain functions such as attention, cognitive efficiency, visual processing, visual-spatial processing, reasoning, language processing and additional brain capacities.

I have observed this in behavioural measures of intelligence and/or cognition using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children and the Woodcock Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability. I have seen specific intelligence subtest scores increase and cognitive capacities change from low to average after the 3 years of intervention required in the program. As these cognitive capacities improve the children are able to manage classroom instruction and learn more efficiently. This has also been observed at the Toronto Catholic School Board as 70% of those students that leave the Arrowsmith Program no longer require special education classes or assistance. This is a remarkable statistic that even shocks the teaching staff at the Toronto Catholic School Board. The other 30% also reduced their special educational services, but required one or two blocks of support per week, from a high of 5 to 6 blocks per week. These qualitative findings are startling and deserve further research.

Barbara Young has always been open to research on the Arrowsmith Program. The problem has been that educators have not been as open. Some university professors have made it their goal to ridicule her even though they have never spoken to her, read the Arrowsmith Program manuals or visited on her schools. When they hear the words “cure” or “fix” they get upset. The reality is that Barbara has never used these words. Her focus is on “improvement” of cognitive capacity. The Arrowsmith Program does not claim to “cure” or “fix”. Each child that does the Arrowsmith Program has their own unique cognitive profile of strengths and weaknesses. Each child responds differently to the Arrowsmith Program. As well, after the Arrowsmith Program some children are recommended for further skill or content based instruction such as phonics or math calculation training as we believe this is important.

My hope is to bridge the divide between educational understanding of learning disabilities and that of neuroscientists at the University of British Columbia. There is a huge gap in conceptual understanding. In fact, Harvard University started the Mind, Brain and Education Institute in order to bridge this gap (http://www.gse.harvard.edu/~ppe/highered/programs/mbe.html). I attended the first annual Mind, Brain and Education conference in 2007 in Fort Worth, TX. It was remarkable the number of neuroscientists that are struggling to get faculties of education open to listening to their findings. In short, neuroscientists are finding it very difficult to get educators to understand the implications of their work and how it could benefit teachers. As you can see, the statements of Dr. Linda Siegel, Faculty of Education, UBC speaks loudly to this divide and need for common understand and respect. In fact, Dr. Siegel never contacted Barbara about the study that supposedly confirms that the Arrowsmith Program doesn’t work. Dr. Siegel has never visited an Arrowsmith School, nor studied the program itself. She used the Arrowsmith Program incorrectly in her study, as it is not designed to remediate decoding problems in 6 or 8 months. The Arrowsmith Program is a 3 to 4 year program that focuses on the remediation of numerous cognitive weaknesses. What is clear is that, for whatever reason, she wants to discredit Barbara Young.

Barbara Young is not a fraud. She wants more research done and thus her connecting with Dr. Adele Diamond at the Brain Research Centre at UBC. Dr. Diamond is an internationally recognized neuroscientists. Barbara has a remarkable mind that deserves the careful study of researchers. Educators should not feel threatened. We need to work together. By opening are mind to possibilities new ideas come forward. If we close our mind we often cannot see possibilities.

This quote should remind us all of why we should keep our minds open to new ways of thinking:

“Concepts which have proved useful for ordering things easily assume so great an authority over us, that we forget their terrestrial origin and accept them as unalterable facts. They then become labeled as 'conceptual necessities,' etc. The road of scientific progress is frequently blocked for long periods by such errors." - Einstein

The 1 thing I noticed about the Arrowsmith training program is the price tag. As innovative as brain training may be, I don't see the need for such a high cost unless this is the only program on the market.

I am not an expert on neuro-science and therefore cannot prove / disprove any of her claims. I do believe people with learning disabilities can function normally with early intervention.

Besides paying the high cost to send kids to the Arrowsmith brain training program, getting them to learn a musical instrument such as piano can also do brain stimulation as well as hands & eye coordination.

If the issue is just extra help with homework, sending kids to a Kumon or Sylvan Learning Center would probably be more cost effective. If you want stimulation for your children early in life, can try sending them to a Montessori school.

The 1 thing I noticed about the Arrowsmith training program is the price tag. As innovative as brain training may be, I don't see the need for such a high cost unless this is the only program on the market.

I am not an expert on neuro-science and therefore cannot prove / disprove any of her claims. I do believe people with learning disabilities can function normally with early intervention.

Besides paying the high cost to send kids to the Arrowsmith brain training program, getting them to learn a musical instrument such as piano can also do brain stimulation as well as hands & eye coordination.

If the issue is just extra help with homework, sending kids to a Kumon or Sylvan Learning Center would probably be more cost effective. If you want stimulation for your children early in life, can try sending them to a Montessori school.

In case you would like to see and listen to the report on Arrowsmith at the Catholic School Board's meeting last week, by Mark Carcasole of CFRB Radio (AM 1010), here's the direct link. From there, you can click on the audio portion of his report:

http://www.cfrb.com/media/826484/Mark+Carcasole%27s+report+on+the+Arrowsmith+program

In case you would like to see and listen to the report on Arrowsmith at the Catholic School Board's meeting last week, by Mark Carcasole of CFRB Radio (AM 1010), here's the direct link. From there, you can click on the audio portion of his report:

http://www.cfrb.com/media/826484/Mark+Carcasole%27s+report+on+the+Arrowsmith+program

I am glad to know the film will be repeated in the near future. I am a supporter of the Arrowsmith program and I think the film did a very good job at pointing out the sacrifices families make for their children to access this kind of treatment. However I was disappointed because I got the impression that the focus was on the barriers to acces it and the opinions of critics who attack it. I hope there is more films in the subject and I would be very impressed if you highlght the many sucess stories of children whose lives have turned around thanks to the work of Mrs. Barbara Arrowsmith. There is some of us who daydream that sometime in the future, this program is available to children of ALL abilities at their local school.

As a parent whose child completed the Arrowsmith program at Eaton Arrowsmith School last June and is this year re-integrating back into a mainstream program in a public high school, I can say without a doubt this program has not just worked but worked wonders. My son is in grade 9 and has recently recieved a report card with a solid high B average. This would have been impossible and unthinkable before his time at Eaton Arrowsmith and the joy in his face when he presented me with his marks was something of a new experience for both of us. This program is hard work for these children, not a miracle cure. It is effective beyond words and should without a doubt be widely available. This will not happen however without the support of mainstream education. It is irresponsible to fob this important work off as fraudulent. I live with proof of the effectiveness of the method and am unbelievable grateful, as is my son, for the opportunity to have had access to it. It has changed not just his abilities as a learner, but his entire vision of himself. Invaluable is putting it lightly.

After having seen the CBC documentary, “Fixing My Brain” about the Arrowsmith program, we just knew we had to write to tell you about our family’s experience with the program. In order to understand why we are strong advocates of Arrowsmith, you have to know a bit about our son’s schooling history (I know this is lengthy, but please bear with us as there is a point to all of this):

• Kindergarten & Grade 1: Our son attended the local public school where he had trouble keeping up academically (alphabet, reading, etc.), no troubles socially.
• Grade 2: Tried homeschooling, but we had difficulty teaching him academic subjects (probably due to a combination of our lack of teaching skills and his learning disabilities).
• Grade 3 & 4: Fraser Academy (school for children with learning disabilities providing smaller class sizes, one-on-one tutoring, wonderful teachers, regular curriculum (but we would say at a less challenging level), comparable tuition cost to Eaton Arrowsmith School) where our son did well (mostly A’s), and so we thought he would be ready to re-enter public school.
• Grade 5: Back in the local public school (Kumon as well), but he did not pass many of the academic subjects, and was crying every night while doing homework, highly frustrated.
• Grade 6: Back to Fraser Academy where he did quite well again. At that point we heard about Eaton Arrowsmith School (EAS), and rather than face a lifetime of school program modifications and support, we thought that we should give EAS a try, though we were skeptical about it at the time.
• Grade 7 & 8: Eaton Arrowsmith School, where at the end he graduated from the full-time program.
• Grade 9: Back to public school (with a math and English tutor) and part-time at EAS. At the end of Grade 9, our son was on the honour roll at his local high school.
• Now in Grade 10: Public school full-time, achieving a B average on his own with no extra help from tutors or parents.

As you can see, academic success in the public system was elusive for our son after several years at Fraser Academy, but was attainable after having attended the Arrowsmith program. We do believe that the Arrowsmith program worked for our son – the combination of the strategies used and the wonderful support from the teachers enabled our son to succeed on his own in the regular system. We really do not believe that he would have achieved the same level of success with any other education system currently available. Would we do it again? You bet.

We would be happy to talk to anyone who would like more information about our experience (please ask EAS for our contact info).

Regards,
Karen and Peter Smolik

I am a parent of an 11 year old girl enrolled in her first year at the Eaton Arrowsmith School.

Our choice to enroll our daughter in the program was not an easy one as it comes with a significant financial commitment and entailed pulling our daughter out of an excellent public school and away from her class mates. But, the reality is that she was floundering - even after three years of extramural tuition three days a week from an Orton-Gillingham tutor who has since become a very close friend of ours. We exhausted most avenues of help - which reduced our family life to long nights and weekends of homework - and reduced my daughter's confidence level to tear jerking levels. What can you do when your ten year old child can't tell the time, count backwards from ten. In reality - no parent can identify with the emotional rollercoaster parents of a child with a learning disability are subjected to. The schools can't help - Kumon or Sylvan Learning Center don't have programs designed to tell the time - so options are limited.

We are fortunate - we have the flexibility to sacrifice to afford the cost. As for the fees - I doubt that the school is making truck loads of money as it receives no state assistance.

It is too early for use to determine whether the program will be successful in helping my daughter cope with her life challenges - but she has so far learned more in three months than the past two years both emotionally and academically.

My name is Vanessa Dylyn and I am the producer of Fixing My Brain.

It is very heartening to see the vigorous discussion and the huge interest from the public in the important issues arising from Fixing My Brain.

I became very interested in making a film about Barbara Arrowsmith's work in
2001 after reading Dr. Doidge's article in Saturday Night Magazine. I followed her work with great interest for years, determined to make a film about the Arrwosmith method, as I suspected it could benefit not only learning-disabled students but the larger population.

However, when you are making a film for a public broadcaster you must adhere to high journalistic standards and make a balanced film. We do not receive public funding to promote our pet projects or to make advertorials for institutions. Thus, we needed to put the Arrowsmith system through all the tough questions. Even so, at times we have been accused of showing bias in favour of Arrowsmith.

I feel that Barbara and her work have come out even stronger in the face of some harsh criticism in the film. Audiences are sophisticated judges of character
and can see through many statements made in the film. I also feel that the film will only draw attention to Barbara's pioneering work and her school.

As Mr. Eaton points out on this site, there is a gap in communication between the neuroscience community and the education community. It is clear to me that educators in general, are still in the dark about what discoveries about the brain mean to pedagogy.

Before I entered the film industry I was a high-school English teacher and felt that modern educational trends often worked against allowing students a quiet environment to learn and worked against traditional methods of helping students concentrate. For me, the most important part of the film is the possible value of Barbara’s work to education as a whole and the beginnings of communication between education and science.

This is why I have devoted two years to making this film. And frankly, in my business, spending this length of time making a serious film is a very poor business model.

On a personal level, Barbara is one of my heros. I admire her courage and her dedication to her students. There is no nobler calling than the devoted teaching of the next generation.

But as a film producer, I cannot endorse the Arrowsmith program and must follow the stringent rules of journalism in documentary filmmaking.

After watching the CBC documentary on Arrowsmith, i had mixed reviews. on the one hand, there was a lot of detail relating to how successful it has been, yet one comment of "... the Arrowsmith program is a fraud ..." really got my goat up. Worse, i found they didn't back up that statement with any hard facts that it doesn't work.

i have 2 girls in the Arrowsmith program through Toronto Catholic School Board and i can attest to the improvements in 3 months. My oldest daughter went into the program in Grade 4, not being able to read more than 'baby books where you have one line per page". By Christmas she was reading not just Chapter books, but the Teenie-type books like Hillary Duff, High School Musical etc. and this was with no academic ciriculum.

My second daughter just started Arrowsmith this year in Grade 5. Printing was like chicken scratch - all over the place, no rythm or sonistency and looked like she was in kindergarten. Again, it is November, 3 months into the program and again with little ciriculum to help her with this, her printing is beautiful! Nicely rounded, even, consistent and she is even starting to use punctuation!

I will advocate that Arrowsmith works without a doubt. I just wish if a documentary is going to be so careful backing up the positive facts, they should also be just as careful backing up the negative facts. Without backup, that statement is invalid, yet everyone will remember it the most because of its strong vocabulary.

Hoepfully other documentaries will show proof of its success and there will be no debate. For now, just ANY PARENT who has a child in Arrowsmith if they think it does not work and i will bet good money you will not find one!!!!

I can only reiterate the many positive comments other parents at EA in Vancouver have submitted. I have had two children attend this school and they have both done very well, not only academically, but also emotionally. Struggling within the public system, not getting the help you need, feeling like you are not as bright as other kids, all have a huge emotional impact on a child. These kids are highly intelligent, but never feel that way in a one size fits all system. Far from 'stealing other peoples money', I know Howard Eaton is giving his every waking hour not lining his pockets but rather trying to bring the Arrowsmith Program to the public school system so that all children who have learning disabilities may benefit from early intervention with this program.

My disappointment is not with the Arrowsmith program but rather with the sensationalism with which 'Fixing My Brain' was cast. To view a 3-4 year program through the eyes of 3 kids/families who only completed one year (all of whom struggled with the cost of this program), to include an educator who knew nothing of the program except that she didn't believe it worked and cast her as being every bit as credible as the other two scientists who were doing indepth research on neuroplasticity and learning disabilities, is in my opinion poor at best. Fine to focus on some of the challenges families face (and there are many), but how about providing some balanced jounalism that educates as well as entertains.

My brother, who grew up with severe dyslexia happened upon this program while channel surfing that night. He was fascinated by Barbara Young's experience in school as it matched his own experience ... he was not able to comprehend math concepts or even the basics of the english language but survived the system by memorizing everything he needed to get through school. It is my hope that others will recognize themselves &/or their children while watching this program and take further steps to learn more about the Arrowsmith program from more credible sources. To absorb the retoric of someone who seems threatened by the concept of neuroplasticity and feels the need to lash out would be unfortunate. All children learn differently. As parents it is our obligation to find what works best for our own kids and ensure that they leave school not only with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in this world, but more importantly as whole individuals understand their strengths and vulnerabilities and have drive and determination to make the world a better place. All the academic knowledge in the world isn't worth a pinch of salt without balance and wisdom to use it effectively.

My 12 year old son just started school this September at Eaton Arrowsmith School (EAS) and I cannot believe the changes in his confidence level and ability to stay motivated and focussed. His last year in public school was horrendous.

The public school system is a joke for kids with learning disabilities as they do not have the time or resources needed to address the issue. LD kids are targets for bullies and it has been excruciating for him.

Homework was taking three hours a night to re-learn everything from the day and the evening often ended in tears (his and mine!). LD kids are average or above average intelligence so it's very frustrating when they can't make sense of things. As the public school was no longer an option, we took the chance on EAS and haven't looked back.

The program is difficult and challenging but he finally feels successful and loves going to school every day. It's early days for us, yet talking with other parents in the program is very encouraging as they vouch for the results. The financial cost is very high, however remember that they are not funded by provincial monies. If the public education system was not subsidized, you would be paying an exorbitant amount to send your child there. For us, it is worth every penny to have our happy, outgoing child back again.

I was surprised that based upon the program, Dr. Linda Siegel of U.B.C. is to head the study of Barbara Arrowsmith's method. Dr. Siegel had expressed very definite opinion: "I think the Arrowsmith Method is a fraud."

Surely someone more open-minded should manage the study. Double-blinds would be hard to set up in a school setting such as Arrowsmith, so I would believe it would be very difficult for Dr.Siegel, however well-meaning she may be, to set up a fair appraisal.

I really enjoyed the documentry on "Fixing the Brain"

I have a Central Additory learning disability

I would love to get more information on helping and improving myself. I believe I need guidance to be successfull. I went all through school in learning dissability class. I went all through 37 jobs and right now I am looking for answers

As a parent of 2 Severely Learning Disabled children I have found the educational system both challenging and frustrating to work with in order to try to meet their needs. I believe that we have the capablities to help our children in schools however due to limited funding, the minimal understanding by many educators and families who have limited financial resources educational success is minimal. I don't have $40,000 per year in order to obtain this kind of help for my children.

I have enjoyed reading all the posted comments and I hope anyone else visiting this website will also contribute their views on the broad scope of important issues this documentary touches upon.

I have had an intimate connection with education since I was very young. Having started college at 7, then later teaching as a teacher and private tutor, I have had the unique opportunity to witness how personal confidence, resources, teaching methods, classroom culture, educational policy, and family environment interacts with a student's academic and intellectual achievement.

What I like about this type of documentary is that it utilizes media to bring together more people interested in education.

I hope CBC, The Lens, Matter of Fact Media, Vanessa Dylyn, Canadian Television Fund, parents, students, and other viewers will demand more programming that increases awareness and discussion in education.

THE MAIN PERSONAL MESSAGE I'd like to contribute is that parents and students should NEVER allow any teacher, school, "guideline", or "expert" to label them with any type of "learning disorder."

I have clear memories and awareness of my personal learning "deficiencies". Part of my academic and intellectual achievements have come from teachers that have withheld labeling me as having disorders.

When I was 14, a college professor was upset that a teenager could grasp the concepts in his course. Even after the Teaching Assistants gave me high grades on exams, he took the extra effort to search and pull out my exams in particular, erased their grade, then replaced it with the lowest grade possible. He also made racist comments towards me and told me that my questions to him indicated that I was too young and stupid for his class. He told me I should leave the university.

Since I was only 14, I did not consider that this professor might be wrong. I thought that indeed, I must be weak intellectually for his area and I doubled then even tripled study time allocated for his course. Even after this extra study, I still scored extremely low. I went to the TA to ask why repeatedly, there was a high grade on the exam that apparently got erased, to be replaced by the lowest grade possible. The TA looked at my sympathetically and said simply, "Yes, we did give you a high grade, but the Professor happened to grade your exam and changed it."

In middle of the course, this professor was put on suspension by the university for sexual harassment and cocaine use. The professor that replaced him in middle of our course investigated my situation. I scored the highest grades in the entire class for the next two exams and she reversed his earlier unfair grading.

This is one of MANY experiences I have had in the educational system.

What I want parents to understand is that it doesn't matter if you're 3, 13, or 50 years old. People in general are susceptible to harsh and unfair assessments of their capacities.

I have had hundreds of students. I tutored Oliver when he was about 11 years old and he was failing math at school. His teacher and school had already conveniently labeled him with all sorts of learning disorders including ADD.

By 14, I was already taking engineering and advanced calculus courses. I had a broader understanding of how math could be learned. What I saw in Oliver was that he had extreme potential in math. His approach was Einstein-like, but just as Einstein and other great mathematicians did - they shared having difficulty with basic arithmetic.

Oliver's math did improve under my wing. However, the most important lesson he and his mother learned was in a short story I made up for him:

Once upon a time there was a village of people. The children there were each given a large potato bag tied around a secret. Each day, the children hiked up a large mountain together. They laughed and made fun of one boy, who always had difficulty bringing his bag up the mountain. He was always so slow bringing his bag up the mountain and never reached everyone else's daily climbing level until nightfall. Finally, after many years of climbing, all the children arrived at the top. Of course, the "slow child" was the last to arrive at the top that day. So by the time he got there, he saw all the other children had already started to open their potato bags. Everyone had beautiful bicycles. The slow child was the last to arrive at the top and all the children gathered around him to watch him unveil his bicycle. He was so tired, he could barely take the bag off. When he did, everyone was surprised because inside his potato bag was a motorcycle.

(I do not want to dilute the message that people should never allow others to tell them what they can't accomplish. I want to make it clear that there is a utility for testing and categorizing. However, there is more than one way to interpret and disseminate the testing results. I get uncomfortable when I have a new student that's 6 years old and introduces herself to me saying she has ADHD. If I had a child diagnosed with a learning disability, I would place the exam results to the side and keep it as a personal reference. I don't see any positive use from telling my child they have this or that disorder. Anyways, I found a pattern that ADD diagnosed students tend to have many social and creative strengths that other "normal" students have less prominence of. Or, I have seen many "ADD" students achieve higher than other students after I have worked with them.)

A disability or disorder should be seen as a stone thrown in a river. The water simply goes around the stone (and perhaps over time sands it away). It does NOT have to be (as the way our society often leaves it) a dam (pun intended). Aren't the most admired and beautiful rivers in the world those that twist and turn the most?

Kudos to the CBC and the documentary makers of this film. A really inspiring story about how one can change oneself.

I am certain that the three subjects will look back on their year at Arrowsmith and realized it changed their lives.

In my 53 years I have learned through experience that it is not the people who have been born with all the gifts (intelligence, talent, good looks etc.) that inevitably turn out to be highly successful, quite often it is the people who have learning disabilities - or disabilities of any kind -for that matter who overcome them that turn out to be enormous successful. They gain enormous strength and motivation because they have taught themselves that they can overcome anything.

Anyway, I was enormously impressed with this documentary.

I watched with interest CBC's "Fixing My Brain". I was excited that finally there would be a program related to the problems that my Son and Family have endured over the past 4 years while attending Public School. I was hopeful that the program would shine a light on the problems associated with children who experience learning challenges. I came away disappointed. Instead of focusing on an option for Families struggling with these issues, it seemed to focus on the validity of Barbara Arrowsmith's findings in a negative light.

When my Husband and I began the difficult search for help after my Son was exhibiting learning difficulties in the Public School System, I researched the Arrowsmith Program with great interest. Unfortunately, the program was no longer offered in our area due to lack of interest, so I continued my search for an alternative.

My Son is now attending James Cameron School in Maple Ridge and after only 4 months he is doing extremely well. His confidence has improved dramatically, his printing is now legible, but the most important change is that he is happy and loves his school. His homework demands have been reduced from 2 1/2 hours per night to 15 to 30 minutes per night resulting in a more harmonious home environment. James Cameron School is based on the Orton Gillingham method and is a three year program. Obviously this method differs greatly from the Arrowsmith program, but they both have the same goals and interests in the students involved. Like the Arrowsmith program the class sizes are smaller thus there is ample opportunity for one on one teaching. At James Cameron School the classes have very little visual distractions. The classrooms are small without the usual artwork dangling from the ceilings that you see in the Public School setting and coats and personal belongings are hung outside the classroom in the hallway. In my Son's classroom at his Public School the coats and other belongings could often be found strewn all over the floor while the children stepped on or over them. His new School is orderly and tidy which in my opinion helps these children organize themselves and makes settling into their work environment easier. Respect for self and others is also emphasized with a zero tolerance for bullying of any kind. Also worth noting; you won't hear a loud bell or buzzer signalling the start of a school day or end of a class as it has proven to be startling for most of these kids. Instead the Principal starts the day with a handheld Bell signalling the children to enter the school at the start of the day and a very soft jingling bell that sounds in their classrooms to alert them when the class has ended. It is a very calming environment and a gentle approach to learning. The Teachers are amazingly dedicated often arriving at School 1 1/2 hours prior to the start of the day and can be found in their classrooms well into the evening.

We have been extremely pleased thus far with James Cameron School because it has not only given us our Son back (smiles and all), but it has significantly changed our Family life. With a price tag much less than the Arrowsmith program we feel that it should be recognized as an alternative for parents struggling with similiar issues in the Public System.

Our experience in the Public System has been torturous not only for my Son, but for our entire family. It affected our homelife and worklife. The Public School suggested that our Son be looked at for ADHD, Aspergers, Autsim, Major Depressive Disorder, etc and felt that he should be on Ritalin. They also suggested that there must be something wrong in our marriage (married 23yrs!) or Family that would be making our Son withdraw. We spent alot of time, money and energy investigating to find a solution It was an experience that no parent or child should ever have to endure.

In my opinion, it is the Public System that you should be documenting as fraudulent and not these Schools that are proving to teach our children to learn with their challenges and to lead confidently successful lives. At the very least you should do a documentary on the various options available to students with learning challenges to help ease the frustrations that parents and families endure on their quest for success. The Public System works well for the "Cookie Cutter" child, but not for the children with learning challenges. The extremely frustrating part of all of this is that these kids are generally average to above average children and they are just being left to rot in the Public System if they don't have the means or Parents to advocate for them. A program focusing on help for these people would be beneficial and could possibly open a door for Public funding to aid those who can't afford the cost of alternative education. I worry for those that can't help themselves and their children in our Public School System with their very large, loud, chaotic classrooms where children with learning challenges are being left to vegitate (literally) because the Teachers don't have the time. My Son was left to vegitate with the Teachers telling us that they only get 20 minutes a day out of him. When asked what he does the rest of the day they responded with "Oh he entertains himself while the others are working by breaking his paints up or rubbing his pencils until the paint comes off, etc." Trust me, we have heard similiar stories from other Parents at James Cameron School.

I feel the Public should be made aware of what is happening to our Public System. There seems to be funding for other programs, but not for children with learning challenges. The Public System failed my Son and we are obviously disheartened by our Government for allowing this to happen not only to us, but to countless other students.

Thank you for allowing me to comment on your program. Please consider my suggestion of a documentary that offers an alternative to our failing Public System.

Sincerely,
Teresa Corsie

P.S. James Cameron School cost is $800.00/month including all School Supplies so the children have the same things. The Students also wear uniforms (which my Son loves).

Linda Siegel is a dedicated researcher and advocate for students with LD. I fully support and agree with Arrowsmith's ideas about brain plasticity, but she is definitely not the only one to develop programs to target and strengthen cognitive functions based on the idea of brain plasticity. I agree with Elizabeth's comments about Barbara not putting much effort into presenting research that supports the claims that she makes about her cognitive exercises. I'm not saying that she is not correct or at least heading in the right direction, but that she fails to validate her program. It seems that even Feuerstein's program (FIE) has more evidence to support it than her program, yet her program is being hailed as a miracle cure. I support Barbara, Linda and all of the other people in the community trying to do their best to help based not on self gratification, but on the human principle that we ought to help one another.

Thank God..there is finally that is helping these kids succeed and not just "pass or fail." As a kid with undiagnosed NLD, and ADHD I found it hard to be in school- not because I had those disabilities (I didn't know I had them until I was already an adult), but because teachers didn't know how to help me out. I work with kids now in an afterschool program that is aimed to help them in school. I still see them struggle in school which is frustrating to see. It is my hope that some day that all kids get the help they need and deserve. Kudos to CBC for producing this documentary, and Kudos to Eaton Arrowsmith School staff & founder for helping these kids feel (and be) successful.

I use to be a student at Arrowsmith. I went there for 4 years part time every Tuesday and Thursday and then I went for 2 years of full time. I have to say that it was very hard how ever it was very worth it. I have now been in regular school for 4 years and am now going into grade 12. The changes were remarkable to. I use to not be able to read at all but now I can read what ever I want and can understand fully.

I was diagnosed with dyslexia when I was in grade one. Then my mom went on a search for a solution and what she came up with was Arrowsmith, I started I was 7. It was very difficult because I felt different then everyone else however I continued. I did find it boring at times.

Then when I was 11 I start full time. My first year was a very rock year. During that year I did not make much progress. The next year however I made leaps and bounds. Then I graduated and moved on.

Now looking back it was one of the best things that I have ever done. even though I still have some difficulties with grammar and missing words it is still way better than what it would have been if I had not gone to Arrowsmith,

On another note I though that the boys that they followed made more changes then they realize and should have been more positive. Even though they made progress and maybe not the progress they wanted to make it will make a huge difference.

This new revised version of "Fixing My Brain" is so much better than the original one. It gives Barbara Arrowsmith Young the recognition she so rightly deserves.
I really cannot understand how the PhD expert in Vancouver can possibly do valid research on the Arrowsmith program. She only tested students at the end of one year in the program. The validity of her research would have increased if she'd tracked students through the entire program. Perhaps this lady could learn something from Dr. Lancee's research techniques at Mount Sinai.
I think there's a conflict of interest here anyway, because this woman has a program to sell as well. I wonder who publishes her LD education program?

I was watching the show on Saturday morning and was questioning the program. Some comments mentioned the Kumon Math and Reading program. Kumon has been around for over 50 years in 45 different countries and has helped over 40 million student throughout its history. This program stands the test of time. The basics of the program, if you are coming for remedial help: build a solid foundation (of what students had difficulty in), get to international grade level, and study beyond grade level. Aside from the math program and the reading comprehension program, Kumon focuses on the soft skills, focus, motivation, confidence, independence, etc. I think families should look into the program. What's so great about the program is that it's affordable and it was design this way so that no one will be disadvantaged. If you are coming for enrichment, Kumon takes you there, studying way beyond your grade level.

Very, very interesting. I highly respect Dr. Linda Siegel but would like to see more studies with longer durations and control groups on the Arrowsmith program. This topic is just crying out for more research.

The documentary opened my eyes to the problems these children encounter and the possibility that the school system can incorporate programs to assist them.

I found the children and the families were presented in a dignified manner and all aspects of the prgram were of the highest standard.

We the public, need more programs with depth rather than sensationalism and trust the CBC will continue to produce programs to this standard.