My child is struggling 
Now that my child has 
Coping with learning disabilities is an ongoing process. It does not come to an end when the child leaves school or joins the workplace or becomes involved in a relationship. Allegra is thirty and still confronts many of the same issues she faced as a child. Our role as parents also does not end, no matter how old our children are. There are new challenges every day.
Laughing Allegra is a story of pain and frustration, but far more important, it is also a story of achievement and success. It can be the same for every child, for success comes in many forms.
I am well aware that many parents do not have the same resources that were available to me. These resources have been important, yes; but they are not the full story. Lifestyle, income level, social circles — all the externals that too often separate us — diminish when a mother is sitting alone somewhere, wondering if there is anyone out there who can help her child. With Laughing Allegra, I have tried to reach beyond external differences, deep into the core of what makes every parent of a child with LD the same, no matter who we are or where we live or how many resources are available for our use.
This book is intended to inspire parents, to show them they are not alone and that we all — as parents of children with learning disabilities — share the same language of hope.
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.
