Ever wondered why you, or someone you know, is struggling with math? Dyscalculia is a learning disability (also known as a learning difficulty) that affects an individual's ability to understand and perform mathematical tasks.
This learning disability can significantly impact an individual's daily life, making it challenging to manage finances, tell time, and understand basic math concepts. Individuals with Dyscalculia often experience frustration and anxiety, due to their struggles with numbers and mathematical reasoning. The effects of dyscalculia are profound, often leading to academic challenges and a lack of confidence.
However, here at Arrowsmith, we understand that Dyscalculia is not a lifelong sentence. By harnessing the power of neuroplasticity through targeted cognitive exercises, individuals can overcome their learning disabilities and achieve their full potential.
This case study introduces Isabel, a young girl from Australia who faced significant challenges due to Dyscalculia. Her journey with the Arrowsmith Program showcases the transformative power of neuroplasticity in overcoming learning difficulties.
Age: Isabel, Arrowsmith student
Age: School Age
Learning Difficulty: Dyscalculia and Math Difficulties
Program Type: Cognitive Intensive Program (CIP)
Time in Program: 6 Weeks
Location: Canada
Isabel faced significant challenges due to her Dyscalculia, a learning disability that severely impacted her understanding of numbers and mathematical concepts.
Despite her best efforts, Isabel barely understood the difference between addition and subtraction. Telling time on a traditional clock was impossible, and she struggled to grasp the concept of money, not understanding that there were 100 cents in a dollar. Isabel’s difficulties also extended to fractions, which she had never used because she did not comprehend them.
These challenges affected her confidence profoundly. Isabel had never been able to go to school and feel capable, often feeling overwhelmed and defeated by tasks that seemed straightforward to her peers.
Her parents, Mark and Suzie (whose names have also been changed), tried numerous interventions and educational strategies, but nothing seemed to work. “We had tried a hundred things, and nothing had worked,” said her father.
The family was desperate to find a solution that would allow Isabel to overcome her learning difficulties and build the confidence she needed to succeed both academically and in her everyday life.
Determined to find a solution, Isabel’s family discovered literature on neuroplasticity and The Arrowsmith Program. They decided to travel from Australia to Toronto, Canada, to enroll Isabel in the Cognitive Intensive Program (CIP), which focuses on the Symbol Relations exercise.
This program is designed to enhance the Symbol Relations cognitive function through rigorous and targeted exercises that harness the brain's ability to reorganize and form new neural connections. For six weeks, Isabel worked intensively on these exercises, with the goal of overcoming her Dyscalculia and improving her overall cognitive abilities.
Mark explains their decision: “We had tried a hundred things, and nothing had worked.”
The Arrowsmith Program is based on the principles of neuroplasticity - the brain’s ability to change and adapt in response to new experiences and training. By strengthening the specific cognitive functions that were underperforming, Arrowsmith is able to help individuals strengthen their brain and overcome their learning disabilities.
The results of Isabel’s time in The Arrowsmith Program were nothing short of remarkable. In the first week, Isabel achieved a milestone that had previously seemed impossible - she was able to read a two-handed clock. Mark recalls the emotional moment: "We all started crying. She had never read a two-handed clock, and I had been trying to teach her for seven years."
As Isabel continued with the program, her cognitive abilities improved significantly. She began to understand and use fractions, a concept that had eluded her before. Isabel’s brain fog cleared, and her talking - jumbled in the past - made sense.
Another ‘ah ha’ moment came in week six when Isabel was able to explain complex plot lines in a television show the family was watching.
Isabel’s journey did not end in Toronto. Upon returning to Australia, she continued the Arrowsmith exercises and her progress continued. Isabel began to engage with the world in ways she never had before.
Her math average increased to 60 percent, and her parents noticed a profound change in her reasoning and comprehension skills - both in math and in everyday situations.
Her teacher independently noted that something had been unlocked in Isabel’s mind, allowing her to understand and retain new information.
In a number of areas we’re really seeing interesting improvements. We’re starting to see a lot more reasoning. We’re seeing gains in mathematics. Isabel could never really understand the concept of money, and she’s getting that now. She’s talking in fractions now, which she never did. She’s talking about 30 seconds is half a minute, 15 seconds is a quarter, she never used fractions or understood them.
She’s suddenly getting it. There’s a real glow inside of her now. There's this real little burn in her of confidence. We’re seeing it for the first time, because she’s never had confidence. She’s never gone to school and said ‘yeh, I can do this’. She’s come here and she suddenly gets it, she’s suddenly understanding what’s being given to her.
