Arrange a Speaker
Arrowsmith staff are available to speak on a variety of topics related to neuroscience, education, and learning disabilities.
Please contact us if you would like to discuss arranging for a speaker at one of your organization’s events.
About our Speakers
cognitive exercises lies in Barbara Arrowsmith-Young’s journey of discovery and innovation to overcome her own severe learning disabilities, a description of which appears in the article, Building a Better Brain or in Chapter 2 of the book, “The Brain That Changes Itself” by Dr. Norman Doidge. Diagnosed in grade one as having a mental block, which today would have been identified as multiple learning disabilities, she read and wrote everything backwards, had trouble processing concepts in language, continuously got lost and was physically uncoordinated. Barbara eventually learnt to read and write from left to right and mask a number of the symptoms of her learning disabilities through heroic effort, however she continued throughout her educational career to have difficulty with specific aspects of learning. Barbara Arrowsmith-Young holds both a B.A.Sc. in Child Studies from the University of Guelph, and a Master’s degree in School Psychology from the University of Toronto (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education). After her undergraduate studies were completed Barbara worked as the Head Teacher in the lab preschool at the University of Guelph for two years where she began to observe learning differences in preschool children.
Debbie Gilmore is the Executive Director of Arrowsmith Program, starting in this position in August 2014. Prior to that she worked for eighteen months as the Arrowsmith Program representative in Australia and New Zealand. Debbie first heard about the Arrowsmith Program when she was Head of Diverse Learning Needs at the Catholic Education Office, Sydney, Australia which opened the first Arrowsmith Program in January 2013. Debbie knew that students with learning difficulties needed more support in schools. Her work as a teacher, literacy adviser, assistant principal and principal helped her understand the need to ‘unlock’ the potential of these students. Her role as a mother of a son with learning difficulties gave her first hand experience of the struggles of these individuals. After spending a year in Peterborough, Canada where her son commenced his Arrowsmith journey at Barbara Arrowsmith Young’s Arrowsmith School, she saw the benefits of the program and the changes to her son’s independence and academic learning. Debbie holds a Masters of Education and various Graduate Certificates in Education in a range of areas of diverse learning. LinkedIn
With her background in psychology and education, Tara Bonner has been with the Arrowsmith organization for almost 15 years: firstly as a teacher, then School Principal and now as an Advisor. Prior to joining Arrowsmith, Tara taught in Canada, UK, Mexico and Chile, and from these varied experiences she saw a universal truth – that children with learning difficulties worked harder than their peers, yet still struggled to learn independently.
In her current role, Tara speaks to professionals and educators from around the world. From here, she sees a watershed moment: where education and neuroscience can intersect, and all children can learn with greater ease and joy. She feels privileged to be part of these conversations, and to be part of an organization putting the Brain in Education.
Aperame-Aru Balasingam (‘Rame’ for short) has been a Program Coordinator for the Arrowsmith Program for just over 2 years now. Rame’s role consists of supporting Arrowsmith-trained teachers around the globe in various capacities. Rame has completed her Masters in Developmental Psychology, and Education, focusing on Learning Disabilities, and has worked with The Learning Disability Association of Toronto for a couple of years before joining the Arrowsmith Team.
List of topics that we have recently spoken on
- Connecting Neuroscience and Education
- Neuroplastic Effects of a Cognitive Program for Individuals with Learning Disabilities
- Understanding Dyslexia – A Cognitive Approach
- Understanding Auditory Processing – A Cognitive Approach
- Enriching Minds, Changing Lives
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Speakers Package
