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.
Anne Ford is the author of the acclaimed memoir Laughing Allegra about raising her severely learning disabled daughter, On Their Own: Creating an Independent Future for Your Adult Child with Learning Disabilities and ADHD, and A Special Mother: Getting Through the Early Days of a Child's Diagnosis of Learning Disabilities and Related Disorders. She served as Chairman of the National Center for Learning Disabilities from 1989 to 2001, and remains a committed advocate and frequent speaker on LD issues. The great-granddaughter of Henry Ford, she lives in New York City.
John-Richard Thompson is an award-winning playwright and novelist, who has collaborated with Anne Ford at NCLD and on her three books. He lives in New York City.