A Special Education: One Family's Journey Through the Maze of Learning Disabilities

I was so touched by this story. This personal/family challenge becomes a springboard for awakening to wisdom and compassion. What a great example. I applaud the author, and her daughter, for sharing even their most difficult feelings. I can relate. I picked this up to give to my sister, who has two young children with what appear to be "learning differences" (what a better term!). I started skimming, then couldn't put it down. There's a lot of denial in my sister's house about her children's differences, and I only hope my sister and brother-in-law will learn from Ms. Buchman's example that you need to put your pride aside and get help for your kids, all the while loving them as whole beings. This is a great book not only for parents of children with LD, but for people in the extended family as well. It's really eye-opening, on both educational and emotional levels.

Dana Buchman's book "A Special Education" came across to me as so much more than just a discussion about Learning Disabilities. It was a message of hope for anyone with such family challenges. It required considerable fortitude for a person of her standing in the competitive world of fashion design, to publically discuss such an intimate family situation. Some lesser individual might not have written such a book, but would have chosen to hide the whole matter. The book is an rare insight into how a family of four faced the situation, while successfully supporting their daily lives. The book reveals her personal character, and how she struggled with the demands of family life. She is indeed a "classy lady"to share her story with others who may find themselves in a similiar, and unexpected situation. Charlotte and her family's story is one I will certainly recommend to my friends and family.

I'm so glad I read this book. A close relative of mine has a child with LD. Dana Buchman's story of confusion, terror, and eventually hope for her own child is incredibly moving. It's given me real insight into my cousin's situation--the section on all the testing was especially eye-opening--and more compassion for what their whole family is going through. I definitely recommend it.

I received the book today and finished it in less than 2 hours. In the last 16 months I've been through testing and diagnosing of my now 7 year old daughter w/LD. What I loved about this book was the emotion, the truth about fears, guilt, annoyance and the *real* aspect of what, as a mother, you go through. The 2nd thing I loved is that it gives hope. Dana's daughter has many more issues than my daughter and has graduated high school and is in college. I know that when our first issues hit with our daughter, the future and what looms out there is the darkest, most dreary aspect. We are on a good course with our daughter and it is so wonderful to hear of other's success. This is not intended as a "instructional" book as one other reviewer seemed to think. This is a story, an educational journey, a "make you aware" type book. I am going to share it with friends, our counselor and probably my daughter's teacher. I turned over many pages to go back and re-read because Dana Buchman writes *exactly* the feelings I've had. It is, at times, such a lonely world out there as a parent and it is wonderful to know you're not alone in this journey.

I too have a child with LD two years younger than Charlotte. I know the heartbreak of LD and I cried because I experienced the same things Ms. Buchman experienced as a mother raising a beloved child with LD. I also, like Ms. Buchman have another child who is gifted and does not have LD. I know that having a child with LD,dyslexia,ADD,etc. changes your life forever. Parents with LD children will want to read this book and then give it to the many teachers that are not trained to understand what LD does to children and their families.Give this to gandparents,neighbors and close friends. People don't understand that LD children may look like everyone else but they have disabilities that are very real and painful to them and to the family as a whole. These disabilities can be in all academic areas as well as speech,sports,and social. Do not let the fact that Ms. Buchman is a designer keep you from reading this book if you have a young child with LD. Her feelings,emotions, marriage, etc. pretty much follows the same path of any parent in this situation. You will find common ground with a parent who is being honest about dealing with LD. I appreciated her honesty. I just wish this book would have been written years ago when my child was diagnoised. I believe she has opened some doors to understanding the LD child and their family and her book will bring the subject out into the light.