The Forgotten Child: "If She is Special, What am I?" Sibling Issues: When Learning Disabilities Cause Tension in the Home

Anne Ford served as Chairman of the Board of the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) from 1989 to 2001. Mrs. Ford has received many honors for her work, including the Lizette H. Sarnoff Award for Volunteer Service from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Humane Letters from Leslie University for her advocacy work for people with learning disabilities, and has spoken on this issue at numerous corporations such as JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Ford Motor Company. She has co-authored four books with John-Richard Thompson. The first book was ＂Laughing Allegra: The Inspiring Story of a Mother’s Struggle and Triumph Raising a Daughter with Learning Disabilities＂. Tom Brokaw called this book ＂a gift for all parents＂ and Barbara Walters said, ＂It’s an inspiring story that any parent can relate to.＂ ＂On Their Own: Creating an Independent Future for Your Adult Child with Learning Disabilities and ADHD＂ was written for parents of adult children with LD. With a foreword by Sally Shaywitz, M.D., this book covers such topics as Employment, Social Issues, Estate Planning, and, for the parent, Learning to Let Go. The third book is ＂A Special Mother: Getting Through the Early Days of a Child’s Diagnosis of Learning Disabilities and Related Disorders＂, with a Foreword by Judy Woodruff. This book was written in recognition of the role of the mother in the life of a disabled child, and to help all mothers deal with the emotional upheaval and confusion that comes with a diagnosis of LD or a related disorder. The first three books, ＂Laughing Allegra＂, ＂On Their Own＂ and ＂A Special Mother＂ were finalists for a ＂Books for A Better Life＂ Award. Anne and John have now written this fourth book, The Forgotten Child: ＂If She is Special, What am I?＂ Sibling Issues: When Learning Disabilities Cause Tension in the Home.