As the mother of a 10 year old with learning differences -- and yes, that IS what we refer to them as in 2007 -- I felt as if I was reading my own story. Denial. Fear. A drive to *cure* my child, who cannot be cured. Sometimes describing him to others in terms of his disabilities, instead of as the incredible, talented person that he is. Buchman doesn't have any answers; there ARE NO ANSWERS. But it is tremendously helpful to read about her feelings and her journey, to know that we're not alone.
Some comments have criticized Ms. Buchman for using her considerable financial resources to help her child, or have indicated that her story cannot be universalized because of her wealth. That's simply not true. Buchman points out that she had her daughter evaluated by the NYC Dep't of Education, and that she was receiving resources from them. In fact, Charlotte's high school, Churchill, accepts DOE funding, and I believe that a substantial percentage of its students are placed there with tuition paid by the DOE. The LiPS program that Charlotte took in California is also now available throughout the world. Finally, one poster criticized Buchman for not insisting that her daughter be mainstreamed. While my son is mainstreamed, its not one size fits all. Most of the parents I know who have children with more extreme learning differences, like Charlotte, prefer a special school, where all of the teachers know about learning differences, and are specially trained to deal with them.
Average Rating:
Author:
- Dana Buchman
- Charlotte Farber
ISBN: 0738210897
Number Of Pages: 208
Languages:
Unknown: English
Original Language: English
Published: English
Product Description:Designer Dana Buchman's chronicle of her daughter's struggle with learning disabilities and of her own journey to become the mother Charlotte needs her to be.
The celebrated designer Dana Buchman knew almost nothing about "learning differences" when her daughter, Charlotte, was diagnosed with disabilities as a toddler. She soon discovered that the hard work and determination that had taken her from the Ivy League to her own fashion label wouldn't be enough to deal with Charlotte's disabilities; she would have to acquire a new skill set--to be able to see Charlotte as a person with unique abilities.
A moving mother-daughter story, A Special Education is an inspiring account of one mother's journey to acceptance and understanding, as well as a family's triumph over daunting circumstances.
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Customer Reviews
A "Sense of Not Alone"
This book came to me right at the right time. Dana Buchman's honest narrative about denial and the pain that she had to overcome to really begin to help not only her daughter but herself and the rest of her family was something that resonated with me. It is a tough struggle at best when you have a LD child but to have three and have them be each with their own unique set of problems is more than just a notion. As she discusses how new changes occur as your child moves through school and grows in age, it helped me to see that they were simply that, changes not more problems. This book gave me comfort and has given me some new direction as well.
A Special Education: One Family's Journey Through the Maze of Learning Disabilities
I did not really enjoy this book. This book was assigned for a graduate class I was taking. The book was about Dana, the mother, for the most part. The daughter, who has learning differences only gave her view in one chapter.
Pretty much, this family is a high-society New York family with many resources available because of their wealth. Most certainly, the average family would not find the resources that they had available for their daughter.
A Special Education
Having a child with special needs, it was comforting to read a memoir of what another has gone through dealing with this situation; the ups, the downs, the good, the sad. Also loved the last chapter. It is written by her daughter. That was very moving. When I finished the book I was encouraged for the future!
