Arrowsmith Program

Overview

What It Is The Arrowsmith Program is an intensive cognitive training system designed to strengthen specific weak cognitive functions that underlie learning difficulties. It is used mainly with children and adolescents who have learning disabilities, dyslexia, ADHD-related challenges, or other developmental learning profiles. Students perform structured paper-and-pencil and computer-based exercises, often for large parts of the school day over multiple years.

How It Works The program is based on the idea that targeted, repeated cognitive exercise can strengthen the underlying capacity to learn—not only teach content. By intensively practicing tasks matched to identified weak functions (reasoning, memory, processing speed, etc.), the program aims to drive experience-dependent changes in the networks that support those functions. Some affiliated research has explored links with brain imaging measures of activation or connectivity.

Conditions - Commonly used for: dyslexia and other learning disabilities, ADHD-related learning challenges, and developmental cognitive weaknesses. - Also used for: some students with acquired brain injury affecting learning. - Note: The commitment is intensive and multi-year; independent high-quality randomized trials remain limited relative to program-affiliated reports.

How it is administered

Full-day or substantial daily cognitive exercises in accredited schools or learning centers, often over multiple years for children. An online program option is available for adults.

Conditions connected in the NPA database

The NPA Treatment Database lists this treatment in connection with 3 condition records. A database relationship does not establish effectiveness, safety, or suitability for an individual.

• Dyslexia & Learning Disabilities
• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Developmental Delays

Related questions

These controlled question pages reference this treatment through stored condition relationships.

• What treatments are listed for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the NPA database?
• What treatments are listed for Developmental Delays in the NPA database?
• What treatments are listed for Dyslexia & Learning Disabilities in the NPA database?

Symptoms connected in the NPA database

The current record associates this treatment with the following symptom information. This is not a claim that the treatment will improve these symptoms.

Practical information

Results and outcomes described in the source record

Months to years.

Side effects and risks

Low medical risk; high time/financial commitment.

Research context in the NPA database

Research summary

Evidence Level: Limited

What the research shows: Program-linked studies report cognitive and academic gains. Independent high-quality trials remain limited, and the multi-year commitment is intensive.

Key takeaway: An intensive cognitive-training option mainly used for learning difficulties; families should weigh cost, time, and the still-developing independent evidence.

Research detail

Overview The Arrowsmith Program is an intensive cognitive training system designed to strengthen specific weak cognitive functions that underlie learning difficulties. It is used primarily with children and adolescents who have learning disabilities, dyslexia, ADHD-related challenges, or other developmental learning profiles. Students engage in highly structured paper-and-pencil and computer-based exercises, often for substantial portions of the school day over multiple years.

Evidence Base and Published Work • The program’s own materials and affiliated reports claim a substantial body of evaluation work involving roughly 20–40 studies and 700–850+ students conducted across multiple universities and educational institutions in several countries. Some studies include control groups; a portion are described as peer-reviewed. • Outcomes reported in program-linked work include gains in cognitive abilities (working memory, processing speed, inductive reasoning, verbal fluency, long-term memory, attention/vigilance), academic skills (word reading, reading fluency/comprehension, spelling, math computation/fluency), rate of learning, and some social-emotional measures. Brain imaging in a subset of studies has reported changes in activation or connectivity. • Key published peer-reviewed studies include: • Weber et al. (2019). “Interpreting the preliminary outcomes of the Arrowsmith Programme: a neuroimaging and behavioural study.” Learning: Research and Practice. Examined 28 students (ages ~9.5–16.8) after one academic year. Reported overall cognitive and academic growth on Woodcock-Johnson measures and explored links with baseline MRI myelin water fraction. The authors described the findings as preliminary and mostly exploratory. • Motamed Yeganeh et al. (2021). “Symbol relations training improves cognitive functioning in students with neurodevelopmental disorders.” Applied Neuropsychology: Child. Focused on the Symbol Relations cognitive exercise and reported improvements in cognitive functioning. • Additional work includes neuroimaging and behavioral outcome reports, whole-cohort implementations in schools, studies with students who have learning difficulties or acquired brain injury, and program-specific reports (e.g., Teen Challenge cohorts) showing gains on standardized cognitive and achievement tests.

Outcomes are gains on standardized cognitive and academic tests after sustained multi-year participation. Independent high-quality randomized controlled trials remain limited relative to the volume of program-affiliated reports. The intensity, cost, and multi-year commitment are significant practical considerations for families.

Questions to ask a provider

1. How is eligibility for the Arrowsmith Program determined, and what cognitive assessment will be used? 2. What is the expected weekly time commitment, and how many years do most students participate? 3. What cognitive and academic gains are typically seen after one year versus multiple years? 4. What is the total cost, and are there any scholarships, school partnerships, or insurance pathways? 5. How will progress be measured, and what happens if my child does not show the expected gains?

Website and contact information

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