At Brain School Tasmania, we provide students with a caring and safe environment. Students enjoy coming here because they know that they are accepted for who they are. For many children with learning difficulties school is not enjoyable and making friends is challenging. Here at Brain School Tasmania students can be themselves, and they enjoy being with others who understand the struggles they face. The Arrowsmith program is a lot of hard work and it requires commitment, but it’s so worth it!
Overcoming Learning Difficulties with Arrowsmith
Core Cognitive Functions
Core cognitive functions are the processes within the brain that work together to enable us to do everything we do. Each cognitive function has a specific role. Click on the Cognitive functions below to find out some of the signs of a difficulty in this function.
Motor Symbol Sequencing: the ability to learn and produce a written sequence of symbols
- writing requires significant effort - spelling is not automatic - errors in written work - unable to express thoughts in writing - writing takes a long time - speech is not fluent - handwriting is messy - problems with eye tracking while reading
Symbol Relations: the ability to understand the relationships between two or more concepts
- trouble understanding concepts - poor reading comprehension - difficulty grasping logic in mathematics - problem understanding relational concepts - letter reversals - inability to process ideas quickly - difficulty understanding grammar - trouble understanding jokes
Memory for Information: the ability to remember chunks of auditory information, allowing us to recall facts and sets of instructions
- trouble remembering instructions - often seen as irresponsible & lazy - difficulty building up a bank of general knowledge - difficulty remembering facts - difficulty acquiring information through listening - struggles to remember what the homework assignment is
Predicative Speech: the ability to see how words and numbers interconnect into fluent sentences
- difficulty speaking & writing in complete sentences - struggles to restate information in own words - finds it hard to learn vocabulary from context - frequent misuse of prepositions - difficulty learning the steps in maths problems - problems with sequential logic
Broca’s Speech Pronunciation: the ability to learn how to pronounce syllables and integrate them into correctly pronouncing words
- problems in learning the sounds of letters & letter combinations - trouble learning to read phonetically - mispronounces words - challenges in learning how to pronounce words in a foreign language - speech is flat & monotone - speaking requires extra effort - sometimes loses train of thought when speaking
Symbolic Thinking: the ability to develop strategies through the use of language
- struggles to problem solve - struggles to maintain focus - difficulty with self-reflection - struggles to plan - difficulty beginning a task - is often disorganised - struggles with considering consequences
Symbol Recognition: the ability to visually recognise and remember a word or symbol
- spelling is poor - struggles to learn sight words - impacts the visual aspectr of the reading process - challenges in learning spelling patterns - difficulty learning & remembering visual symbol patterns - low word recognition level - difficulty in editing & correcting errors in written work
Lexical Memory: the ability to remember several unrelated words in a series
- trouble remembering the names of things such as days of the week, names of people and names of colours
Non-Verbal Thinking: the ability to interpret non-verbal information, such as body language, voice tone, hand gestures and facial expressions
- finds social situations challenging - difficulty when trying to interpret a person's reactions - acting inappropriately to hide difficulties (eg, class clown) - jumping to conclusions without considering all relevant information - struggles to apply social skills correctly - difficulty interpreting & understanding emotions - struggles to adjust behaviour based on the non-verbal cues of others - acts impulsively in social situations
Quantification Sense: the ability to understand and manipulate numerical concepts
- difficulty developing a clear sense of number & quantity - struggles with early maths skills like counting, making change & times tables - struggles with time management - difficulty estimating how long tasks will take to complete - struggles to manage money - struggles with mental maths
Discover Your Cognitive Profile
Arrowsmith Cognitive Questionnaire
Every person has a unique cognitive profile of strengths and weaknesses. Take our 30 minute cognitive profile questionnaire to start the journey into understanding your brain's strengths and weaknesses through a cognitive lens.
Testimonials from Brain School Tasmania
13 year old student
Maths is easier for me ... I have always got D's in my reports for Maths and since doing Arrowsmith I got an A!
Mother of a 9 year old student
My daughter was not making any progress with simple maths, but after doing the Arrowsmith program for one year she can now read a clock and recall some maths facts from memory, rather than having to count on her fingers. She can also solve for the unknown, for example if x + 3 = 5, what is x?
14 year old student
I have noticed an improvement in my Maths skills. I can work out maths problems in my head, which I struggled to do before Arrowsmith.
42 year old student
I can focus and understand lectures better, and I can remember what I have heard!