Anne Ford - Laughing Allegra: The Inspiring Story of a Mothers Struggle and Triumph Raising a Daughter with Learning Disabilities

Table of Contents

Anne Ford could have lived an easy, frivolous life. Instead, she has devoted herself to caring for a child with a learning disability. As such, she has gained wisdom and knowledge, which she shares with us in an inspiring story that any parent with a special child can relate to.

Barbara Walters

Having witnessed Allegras courageous battle with a learning disability, her continued suc-cess as an adult is a testament to her own dedication and that of her mother. Laughing Allegra offers a ray of hope to all parents struggling to ease the burden that learning disabilities place on their children.

Senator Christopher Dodd

A rare glimpse into the workings of the Ford family, this memoir illustrates what a parents determination can achieve and what all the riches in the world cannot.

What a great book. I just loved it, and I do not have children with LD. I had tears in my eyes and also laughed.Anne Ford is now my hero, along with Allegra.

A Reader, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ

Laughing Allegra is a parable of all mothers who love their child, in this instance one born with a learning disability, and who search for answers and for ways to ensure that their child has a happy life. As a result of Anne Fords grit and determination, all mothers and fathers who worry about their child now have a tender and highly practical road map that provides answers, direction, and above all, hope.

Sally Shaywitz, M.D., author of Overcoming Dyslexia

As a father who has been on this journey, I know Annes book will touch the lives of every parent who is raising a child with learning differences. Anne encourages and inspires us with Allegras story, reminding us that all our kids, each in their own way, are nothing short of remarkable.

Charles R. Schwab

Anne is the most articulate, dedicated and wonderful champion and messenger for youngsters and adults who dont learn like everybody else.

G. Reid Lyon, Ph.D.,Chief, Child Development and Behavior, National Institutes of Child Health and Development (NICHD), National Institute of Health (NIH)

This is a must read for every mother and father, not just those of us with a special child.

Judy Woodruff and Al Hunt

Laughing Allegra is a wonderful storycomplex, painful, courageous, and ultimately joyful.

Timothy P. Shriver, Ph.D.,
President and CEO, Special Olympics, Inc.

I devoured this book in one sitting, staying up late at night to read it cover to cover. Despite my bleary and weary eyes, I was filled with gratitude and hope each and every page. It is truly an exceptional book that should be widely read. You have generously shared your talents, tears, and triumphs, and I am most grateful. And thanks to Allegra for her admirable courage!

A Mother, Takoma Park, MD

This book gave voice to my own feelings of raising and teaching a daughter with learning disabilities. In my journey with my daughter I have always felt very alone and isolated. Laughing Allegra mirrored my own experiences and emotions, and comforted me. I have recommended it to any- and everyone I know who has a child, grandchild, friend, or relative with LD. Reading Annes words was truly a spiritually moving experience.

A Mother, via email

I read Laughing Allegra in two days as I could not stop. The book helps me to describe my child when asking for services, understand her needs, and not be so afraid any more.I hope the message of Laughing Allegra can get out to teachers and administrators and legislatures across the country. It can help people to understand what parents deal with on a daily basis.

A Parent, Falls Church, VA

Laughing Allegra showed me that I am not alone. Even though we have friends and family, most people just dont understand what we are going through. Please thank Allegra for letting you share her story because her story and her successes have made me feel there is hope for my son.

A Parent, Miami, FL

My neck hurts from nodding in agreement with almost everything in Laughing Allegra. I started to fold back some of the pages that really hit home, but most of the book would be earmarked so I had to hold back. Thank you for sharing this very personal story with the world. It lifted my spirits and gives me hope with my own son.

A Mother, Farmington Hills, MI

Once I opened the book I had to finish it. It is so compelling. I know how valuable this story will be for parents, grandparents, and friends of folks trying to figure out what is going on with their child. Laughing Allegra is a tremendous contribution to the field of learning disabilities.

A Teacher, New York, NY

HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

Students who struggle are not soloists. They perform as part of a cast as in an opera, play, or rock concert. Much of their destiny will depend on the talent and commitment of the other players who act on their behalf in the drama of their daily lives. The real life plot of Laughing Allegra is vivid testimony to the significant role of the entire castin particular, their power to lessen the power of failure (to borrow a phrase from The Gov, Hugh Carey). Some intriguing roles are portrayed as we encounter on these pages the unfolding plot of Allegras childhood, and these players have made a dramatic difference. First, there is her remarkable costar, Anne Ford, an extraordinary woman, who teaches us one of the core lessons of this book when she points out (and also demonstrates) that the most finely tuned expert about a particular child is the childs parent. I can say that, as a seasoned pediatrician, I have learned, perhaps more than anything else, to listen to parents, to respect their unique expertise and tap into the X-ray vision they possess when it comes to their child.

The supporting roles in Allegras life and in the lives of so many students like her include family, educators, mentors, adult friends, and peers. When these people are truly onboard, when they are sufficiently resourceful and sympathetic, the frustrated life of a child with academic woes acquires resiliency; the acts of learning become hopeful and, ultimately, rewarding. Thats when and how Allegra has reason to laugh. On the other hand, when one or more of these individuals is insensitive, uninformed, or biased, the Allegras of the childhood world become vulnerable to spiraling failure and shame. Their laughter ceases or never even begins. Making matters more complex is the reality that the members of the cast are forever changing, year by year, grade by grade, life stage by life stage. A fourth-grade teacher may be magical in her effectiveness only to be followed by one who assumes that all learning problems are forms of moral turpitude (i.e., she can do it if she tries or I treat everyone exactly the same in my class). That instability of support over time intensifies the tumultuous challenge of advocating for a struggling child or adolescent, staying aboard the chaotic roller-coaster ride that is her life. Thank goodness for supportive parents; they are the purveyors of unfailing continuity and unyielding advocacyas is so vividly seen in the tenacity of Anne Fords loving heroism. But Annes role is far more than that of a devoted mother; she must serve as well as the producer and director of a long-running show with that ever-changing cast. It is her job to foster communication and collaboration onstage, over time, and behind the scenes of Allegras performance. And she judges which of the characters is potentially helpful to her daughter and which will need to have their influence minimized. What a valiant and indispensable role!