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kiwialexa's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
mandyherbet's review against another edition
4.0
I found this completely fascinating but I would have loved to get more specifics about the exercises involved in correcting the many brain deficiencies. I would have also liked more information on how these deficiencies are diagnosed. Some of the students' diagnoses are explained but most of the time, it's just glossed over. I'm so intrigued but this way of teaching and thinking and I really think they need to engage a neuroscientist to explain exactly what these exercises and activities are doing to the brain to back up their experiences.
For anyone who's ever though 'well, this is just how I am', this book will show you that's not true - you can change your brain!
For anyone who's ever though 'well, this is just how I am', this book will show you that's not true - you can change your brain!
rebecca2023's review against another edition
2.0
The problem that I had with this book is that it read like a long advertisement for the Arrowhead School in Toronto. The author identifies many different learning disabilities, and provides case studies to prove that these disabilities can be overcome, but only hints at methods for treatment.
lookingtoheaven's review against another edition
3.0
The concept behind this book is really amazing. I loved how it highlighted the changing understanding of the brain. The first third of the book was really fascinating. the stories got to be a little tedious because they were all formatted the same and there were a lot of them. I was interested in finding out more about their techniques of brain change but some chapters didn't even address technique. I was looking more for information and sometime felt like I was being sold a ticket to Arrowsmith. The different types of learning disabilities addressed were fascinating but I could do without a story for every one. Overall it was interesting and glad I read it.
sangfroid's review against another edition
3.0
I was motivated to read this book because of Norman Doidge's "The Brain that Changes Itself". I was expecting to read and find out information that Doidge and Richard Restak had acquainted me with in their works; instead, "The Woman Who Changed Her Brain" read more like some canvassing literature that promotes her Arrowsmith Programme.
Besides telling readers about how some people had benefitted from her efforts, school and programme, she could have shared with her readers how they could benefit from "brain's-plasticity" revolution.
Still and all, when it comes to some technical information about the brain as a whole, and the different complex functions in it, I should graciously admit that Barbara Arrowsmith-Young is definitely the best compared to even Restak and most experts on neuroscience I have, hitherto, read: she has an admirable knack of explaining very involved scientific ideas, theories and information.
If you ask me if I have learnt anything from the book, the answer is in the affirmative. Most of what we attribute to congenital defects and "natural" aging process has, vehemently, been debunked by the author, who shows cogent, inviolable and incontrovertible proofs that convince us that even scientists and medical people are not free from virulent scientific superstitions.
Besides telling readers about how some people had benefitted from her efforts, school and programme, she could have shared with her readers how they could benefit from "brain's-plasticity" revolution.
Still and all, when it comes to some technical information about the brain as a whole, and the different complex functions in it, I should graciously admit that Barbara Arrowsmith-Young is definitely the best compared to even Restak and most experts on neuroscience I have, hitherto, read: she has an admirable knack of explaining very involved scientific ideas, theories and information.
If you ask me if I have learnt anything from the book, the answer is in the affirmative. Most of what we attribute to congenital defects and "natural" aging process has, vehemently, been debunked by the author, who shows cogent, inviolable and incontrovertible proofs that convince us that even scientists and medical people are not free from virulent scientific superstitions.
penguinliz's review against another edition
Never have I read a book that makes me both so hopeful and so sad. The author describes her experience as an individual with severe learning/cognitive disabilities and how she was able to not only overcome them, but actually retrain her brain to free herself. She then applied these exercises to others and developed additional ones to focus on other cognitive deficits. The basic premise is that these cognitive deficits are what is preventing children with a variety of learning disabilities and diagnoses cannot learn. Once the deficit is addressed, through a series of exercises (think weightlifting with the brain) these children are able to learn and perform tasks that were once beyond them. The book discusses many case studies of both children and adults who have found success going through the program in the The Arrowsmith Schools. It describes individuals moving from the 4th to 80th percentile on various sub-tests of standardized intelligence tests.
It kind of boggles my mind that there is so much resistance to neural plasticity (most of which was described in the Norman Doidge book). It fits patterns that have been long observed - the stair step pattern of improvements following a traumatic brain injury [building a neural pathway represents the flat/no progress part of the stairs, and the sudden jump to the next step once the pathway has been formed is an almost perfect illustration...]. I do recognize the difference between seeing changes in a damaged, and healing brain than from someone who was "born that way."
I don't want to mislead anything. This book is both an autobiography and (almost) an extended advertisement for the Arrowsmith Program. It doesn't cover any strategies for any remediation of the different cognitive deficits described in the book (there are 14 that can interact in any number and at various severity in individuals). I think actual candidacy for the program was discussed more in the Doidge book than in this one, but the program does not seem to be appropriate for all who apply and that seems to be sorted out in the assessment process.
Going back to my first sentence about the book. I am hopeful that this is a start of a change in what we view as special education. The long term outcomes for the kids and adults who completed the programs in the case studies is dramatically different from anything they would have otherwise achieved. I hope that the kids I work with eventually do have access to this or something similar. The word eventually makes me sad. I work in a poor area for a district with no money. My heart breaks that my kids (not to mention all the other sped kids in the building....) will not have access to this kind of help. I see almost mirror reflections of some of my students in the case studies. I can almost label specific kids with some of the deficits described in the book. The program is beyond the resources of my school district and of the families.
I wish there was some more information about specific things that those of us working with these kids could do now. As the research improves, I hope that these ideas will spread into the mainstream for special education. Unfortunately, my kids, and millions of others are suffering now. It's a stretch for many schools to be able to adopt an Arrowsmith program (all the ones in the US appear to be private schools) but I would love something to use with kids now.
It kind of boggles my mind that there is so much resistance to neural plasticity (most of which was described in the Norman Doidge book). It fits patterns that have been long observed - the stair step pattern of improvements following a traumatic brain injury [building a neural pathway represents the flat/no progress part of the stairs, and the sudden jump to the next step once the pathway has been formed is an almost perfect illustration...]. I do recognize the difference between seeing changes in a damaged, and healing brain than from someone who was "born that way."
I don't want to mislead anything. This book is both an autobiography and (almost) an extended advertisement for the Arrowsmith Program. It doesn't cover any strategies for any remediation of the different cognitive deficits described in the book (there are 14 that can interact in any number and at various severity in individuals). I think actual candidacy for the program was discussed more in the Doidge book than in this one, but the program does not seem to be appropriate for all who apply and that seems to be sorted out in the assessment process.
Going back to my first sentence about the book. I am hopeful that this is a start of a change in what we view as special education. The long term outcomes for the kids and adults who completed the programs in the case studies is dramatically different from anything they would have otherwise achieved. I hope that the kids I work with eventually do have access to this or something similar. The word eventually makes me sad. I work in a poor area for a district with no money. My heart breaks that my kids (not to mention all the other sped kids in the building....) will not have access to this kind of help. I see almost mirror reflections of some of my students in the case studies. I can almost label specific kids with some of the deficits described in the book. The program is beyond the resources of my school district and of the families.
I wish there was some more information about specific things that those of us working with these kids could do now. As the research improves, I hope that these ideas will spread into the mainstream for special education. Unfortunately, my kids, and millions of others are suffering now. It's a stretch for many schools to be able to adopt an Arrowsmith program (all the ones in the US appear to be private schools) but I would love something to use with kids now.
el1zabe4h's review against another edition
3.0
If you are interested in how the brain works...or maybe are looking to help someone with some cognitive issues this book is worth the time. Arrowsmith-Young offers helpful insight into cognitive adaptation as well as practical advice.