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On Their Own: Creating an Independent Future for Your Adult Child with Learning Disabilities and ADHD: A Family Guide
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 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
• 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 CEO's Sir Richard Branson, John Chambers, David Neeleman, and Charles Schwab, and former governor Gaston Caperton.
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 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
• 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 CEO's Sir Richard Branson, John Chambers, David Neeleman, and Charles Schwab, and former governor Gaston Caperton.
- GenresAdhd
288 pages, Hardcover
First published April 19, 2007
6 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
Anne Ford
22 books23 followersAnne 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: Laughing Allegra, On Their Own, and A Special Mother. All three books have been finalists for the “Books for A Better Life” Awards. Their fourth book, The Forgotten Child: “If She is Special, What am I?” Sibling Issues: When Learning Disabilities Cause Tension in the Home was published in 2015.
She has a son Alessandro,, who is married with two children, Eleanor and Olivia. Her daughter Allegra was married on May 5, 2012.
She has a son Alessandro,, who is married with two children, Eleanor and Olivia. Her daughter Allegra was married on May 5, 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 25, 2016
On Their Own contains experience based advice of a mother who has supported her challenged daughter through to adulthood and on to independent living.
This book is written in six parts. Part I clarifies Learning Disabilities (LD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) including early signs and symptoms. Part II looks into relationships, including the tough one: dating. In Part III, Anne tackles the transition from high school to college. In this transitional situation, Anne offers guidance based on relevant episodes from her life or reports on conversations she has had with other parents when faced with similar situations. In the US, where 39% of students with LD dropout of high school, the General Education Developmental (GED) test is recommended as a means of getting high school equivalency and entry into college.
Part IV tackles the all important task of LD adults entering the workplace. This environment is unique in that it is perhaps the first exposure to a situation where colleagues have equal expectations of their co-workers and accommodation is not always provided. Note that some States and Provinces in North America may have legally binding legislation, depending on the size of the company, to provide certain accommodations to their employees.
Part V deals with “Managing on Their Own,” which is close to the title of this book. A number of topics are covered of which I found the discussion on Estate Planning, as a father of a LD adult, most informative, particularly the topic of Trust Funds.
In Part VI, Anne Ford, who is also a former Chairperson of the National Centre for Learning Disabilities, in the US, comes into her own as she relates several candid interviews with successful celebrities all of whom have LD. Sir Charles Branson, CEO of Virgin Group, talked about his struggles to learn in spite of his dyslexia. A common feature of all the successful role models with LD that she interviewed, was that they had supportive and understanding parents.
The final icing on the cake is a Resource Guide section with a list of several organizations that support LD issues. This book is a rich guide and reference document for parents and supporting individuals.
This book is written in six parts. Part I clarifies Learning Disabilities (LD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) including early signs and symptoms. Part II looks into relationships, including the tough one: dating. In Part III, Anne tackles the transition from high school to college. In this transitional situation, Anne offers guidance based on relevant episodes from her life or reports on conversations she has had with other parents when faced with similar situations. In the US, where 39% of students with LD dropout of high school, the General Education Developmental (GED) test is recommended as a means of getting high school equivalency and entry into college.
Part IV tackles the all important task of LD adults entering the workplace. This environment is unique in that it is perhaps the first exposure to a situation where colleagues have equal expectations of their co-workers and accommodation is not always provided. Note that some States and Provinces in North America may have legally binding legislation, depending on the size of the company, to provide certain accommodations to their employees.
Part V deals with “Managing on Their Own,” which is close to the title of this book. A number of topics are covered of which I found the discussion on Estate Planning, as a father of a LD adult, most informative, particularly the topic of Trust Funds.
In Part VI, Anne Ford, who is also a former Chairperson of the National Centre for Learning Disabilities, in the US, comes into her own as she relates several candid interviews with successful celebrities all of whom have LD. Sir Charles Branson, CEO of Virgin Group, talked about his struggles to learn in spite of his dyslexia. A common feature of all the successful role models with LD that she interviewed, was that they had supportive and understanding parents.
The final icing on the cake is a Resource Guide section with a list of several organizations that support LD issues. This book is a rich guide and reference document for parents and supporting individuals.
May 11, 2009
"When I interviewed successful adults with LD and asked what they thought was the most important thing parents could do, every single one of them came up with the same advice: show children unconditional love and help them find something they love to do." (p29)
This book wasn't what I was looking for so I didn't finish it.
This book wasn't what I was looking for so I didn't finish it.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews