My child is struggling 
Now that my child has 
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I did not realize that my storytelling adventures were another example of one of the most powerful tools there is when trying to help a child, and that is good old-fashioned mother's intuition. When I closed the story books and told Allegra about her own day or returned over and over again to Goodnight Moon, I did not realize I was helping her compensate for an inability to focus or understand simple words and concepts. All I knew was that we were connecting as mother and daughter and that she was interested in the story and was comforted by the simple repetition of what had happened to her that day. We also devised a routine around the ending of Goodnight Moon that was a comfort to us both. I came to the last page and together we said, "Goodnight stars. Goodnight air. Goodnight noises everywhere."
I closed the book then, and we both said goodnight to the objects in her room. "Goodnight table," I said, and Allegra repeated it after me.
"Goodnight table," she said in her small, sleepy voice.
I got out of her bed. "Goodnight chair."
"Goodnight chair," she repeated.
"Goodnight teddy bear." I said, and I kissed her and crossed to her door.
"Goodnight teddy bear."
And I turned off the light. "Goodnight Allegra."
"Goodnight Mommy."
Purchase a copy of Laughing Allegra: The Inspiring Story of a Mother's Struggle and Triumph Raising a Daughter with Learning Disabilities
today!About the authors of Laughing Allegra: Anne Ford served as Chairman of the Board of the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) from 1989 to 2001. During her term as Chair, Mrs. Ford led the reorganization and broad expansion of NCLD, including establishing a presence in Washington, D.C., and organizing educational summits on learning disabilities in several regions of the United States. She was appointed to the Department of Health and Human Services Commission on Childhood Disabilities, as the representative for learning disabilities and was a member of the New York State Board of Regents Select Committee on Disabilities.John-Richard Thompson is an award-winning playwright and novelist. His play Indigo Rat, set in Berlin, Germany, during World War II, ran for a year in New York City and received a MAC Award from the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs. His other plays include Rain House, Water Sheerie, Fruit Bat Safari Camp, and The Glass Bird. He currently lives in New York City. He is the co-author of Laughing Allegra.Excerpted from Laughing Allegra: The Inspiring Story of a Mother's Struggle and Triumph Raising a Daughter with Learning Disabilities, by Anne Ford with John-Richard Thompson. Copyright © 2003 by Anne Ford. Reprinted by permission of Newmarket Press, 18 East 48 Street, New York, NY 10017, (212) 832-3575, www.newmarketpress.com.
