A Special Mother : Getting Through the Early Days of a Child's Diagnosis of Learning Disabilities and Related Disorders

All mothers experience worries and fears about their children, but none can compare with the early days when a mother feels something's not quite right. Anne Ford knows the feeling. She's had it herself, having raised a daughter with severe learning disabilities, and has gone on to share experiences with others during her many years as a volunteer with the National Center for Learning Disabilities. To bring comfort, support, and hard information to mothers-and fathers, too-in the early period surrounding the diagnosis, here is the book that Anne wishes she'd had years ago when she first received the news about her daughter and didn't know where to turn for the practical and emotional help she desperately needed. Filled with essential advice and the voices of other mothers whose children have LD and related disorders such as Asperger's and ADHD, A Special Mother lets parents know they are not alone and that they can help their child to thrive. This invaluable book addresses such matters as: Understanding Learning Disabilities and Related Disorders What Should You Do First? Interpreting Evaluation Results Resolving Disputes Special Fathers: They Are Out There The Social Side of LD Advocacy vs. Obsession How Are You Doing?: Taking Care of Yourself

First time in paperback—with new material on denial and siblings—this candid, inspiring memoir by the great-granddaughter of Henry Ford is a gift for all parents...An insightful guide through the challenges and rewards of parenting.—Tom BrokawWhen Anne Ford learned that her four-year-old daughter Allegra's differences were the result of severe learning disabilites, she faced a challenge that neither money nor position could ease. It was 1976, a time when there was limited information and resources available for parents confronted with this problem. Desperate for help and answers, Anne sought out doctors, schools, tutors, and summer camps for her daughter. In time, Anne saw her daughter grow into a vibrant, loving, and independent adult with a passion for ice skating and a commitment to help other children with disabilities. Now 30, Allegra lives on her own. In addition to her memoir, Anne Ford includes three special resource sections: answers to the most commonly asked questions about LD, where to find help, and a discussion on the challenges of homework, money, relationships, the workplace, and planning as the LD child and the parents age. A parent's advocacy book, Laughing Allegra is for any parent who has a child with any disability.

Author Biography Anne Ford was chairman of the board of the National Center for Learning Disabilities from 1989-2001. She continues to work closely with NCLD as a tireless advocate for those affected by LD. She lives in New York City. John-Richard Thompson is an award-winning playwright and novelist in New York City.

Publishers Weekly

This poignant, intimate portrait of the author's daughter and her constant battle with serious learning disabilities opens an often hidden world and illuminates the many ways learning disabilities shape the lives of entire families. While having the Ford family name has provided Allegra with some advantages (the author is Henry Ford's great-granddaughter), living with a learning disability can be extremely difficult for anyone so diagnosed, and often a proper diagnosis is itself very difficult to come by. As a deeply involved and caring mother and longtime chair of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, Ford has seen enormous changes in public understanding and has knowledge about these problems, but there is still much to learn, she says, and every case is unique. She incorporates invaluable information for parents just beginning this lifelong struggle, including questions parents ask and her own perspective on some of the hardest issues that will almost certainly arise, in the early years and beyond, about persevering in the search for appropriate schooling, encouraging interpersonal relationships, helping the child establish an independent life when finances are difficult to grasp and employment is hard to maintain, and preparing the child for life when the parents are gone. But above all, this is a personal journey, depicting Allegra's triumphs (she is now 30) and the author's strength throughout years of pain and difficulty. Agent, Phyllis Wender. (May 5) Forecast: The author's credibility and a foreword by bestselling author Levine (A Mind at a Time) will make this popular among parents of the 2.9 million American students currently receiving special education for learning disabilities. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

When Anne Ford, great-granddaughter of Henry Ford, learned that her four-year-old daughter Allegras differences were the result of severe learning disabilities, she faced a challenge that neither money nor position could ease. Desperate for answers, Anne sought out doctors, teachers, counselors, and oth- ers who could help her build a support network for herself and her daughter, while fighting the many common misconceptions and myths about learning disabilities. Now, in this fiercely honest and compelling memoir, Anne tells her story, writing movingly of her feelings as the mother of a learning disabled child. I grew to accept that life is filled with uncertainty and that answers to the most simple, yet profound, questions such as What is wrong with my daughter? can be elusive. I learned to be self-reliant in ways I never had before. I learned that every spark of optimism and hope was something to be nurtured and treasured because sometimes they were the only comfort available. And I learned that worry had entered my life. In time, Anne Ford saw her daughter grow into a vibrant, loving, and independent adult with a passion for ice skating and a commitment to help other disabled children. Allegra Ford, now 32, lives independently and supported this books publication so it could help other kids. Annes experience led her to become a tireless activist on behalf of children and families faced with LD, including her service as Chairman of the Board of the National Center for Learning Disabilities from 1989 to 2001, and the writing of this book with John-Richard Thompson, an award-winning playwright and novelist. In addition to Annes personal story, Laughing Allegra includes four invaluable special sections: Answers to the most commonly asked questions about LD A resource guide on where to find help A discussion from a mothers perspective on the challenges of homework, money, relationships, the work- place, and planning as the LD child and parents age A section on Siblings and Secrets, new in this paperback edition, inspired by Annes conversations with readers during her hardcover book tour.

an Indispensable Guide To The Special Challenges Faced By Parents Of Learning-disabled Children As They Enter Adulthood, By The Author Of laughing Allegra, A Leading Activist And Parent Of An Adult Child With Ld.

in 2003 Anne Ford (great-granddaughter Of Henry Ford) Published laughing Allegra, About The Struggles Of Raising Her Learning-disabled Daughter, And Received A Flood Of Letters From Parents Of Children With Ld, Add, And Adhd, Many Expressing Concerns About What To Do As Their Children Age.

on Their Own Is An Invaluable Road Map To Ease These Parents' Fears And Answer Their Questions, Especially The One That Haunts Them Daily: Will Or Can Their Child Be On Their Own, And How? In A Candid, Sympathetic Style, Laced With Real-life Stories, The Book Covers Such Topics As:
• Social Skills And Dating
• Staying Healthy
• Sibling Relationships
• Interaction With Employers And Co-workers
• Job Hunting
• Finding The Right College Or Trade School
• Estate Planning

also Included Are A Comprehensive Resource Guide And Exclusive Interviews With Prominent Professionals Who Have Surmounted Their Learning Disabilities: Ceo's Sir Richard Branson, John Chambers, David Neeleman, And Charles Schwab, And Former Governor Gaston Caperton.

An indispensable guide to the special challenges faced by parents of learning-disabled children as they enter adulthood, by the author of Laughing Allegra , a leading activist and parent of an adult child with LD. In 2003 Anne Ford (great-granddaughter of Henry Ford) published Laughing Allegra , about the struggles of raising her learning-disabled daughter, and received a flood of letters from parents of children with LD, ADD, and ADHD, many expressing concerns about what to do as their children age. On Their Own is an invaluable road map to ease these parents' fears and answer their questions, especially the one that haunts them Will or can their child be on their own, and how? In a candid, sympathetic style, laced with real-life stories, the book covers such topics Social skills and dating Staying healthy Sibling relationships Interaction with employers and co-workers Job hunting Finding the right college or trade school Estate planning Also included are a comprehensive resource guide and exclusive interviews with prominent professionals who have surmounted their learning CEO's Sir Richard Branson, John Chambers, David Neeleman, and Charles Schwab, and former governor Gaston Caperton. Introduction: "Now what do I do?" "So what is it?" Signs and symptoms Allegra: a portrait of my daughter The parent-child bond: learning to let go Brothers and sisters Friends Dating Marriage and parenting Is college an option? Before graduation day: transitions from high school The fearful student: finding your child's interests LD, ADHD, and the SAT How to find the right college Financial aid The GED: a second chance The college student with LD or ADHD The "helicopter parent" Defining "success" Business 101 "Show me spark!": corporate America and the adult with LD Motivation Staying healthy Medication for ADHD The fine print Estate planning Interviews: advice for parents from prominent people with LD Epilogue Appendix A: Guidelines for summary of performance in high school Appendix B: Transition under idea 2004: statutory requirements and strategic planning for transition to college. From the author of Laughing Allegra and On Their Own, a reassuring and invaluable book filled with personal stories and practical guidance to help parents of a child just diagnosed with a learning disability or related disorder. More than three million children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with a learning disability, and their parents, more often than not, feel at a loss as to where to turn for both practical and emotional help. Anne Ford, who raised her severely learning disabled daughter Allegra and became an advocate for LD children, understands this all too well Explains how parents of children with ADHD and learning disabilities can help them to become independent adults, covering such topics as employee relations, finding appropriate trade schools and colleges, and estate planning