Product Description

Fashion designer Dana Buchman tells of her daughter Charlotte's severe struggle with learning disabilities and of her own steep learning curve to become the mother Charlotte needs her to be

Dana Buchman knew almost nothing about "learning differences" when her oldest daughter, Charlotte, was diagnosed with neurological, spatial, and motor skill disabilities as a toddler. Furthermore, from the Ivy League to the launch of her own fashion label, Buchman had encountered few obstacles that couldn't be overcome through hard work and determination. Unfortunately, Buchman's well-developed ability to "fix" things would not serve her in her efforts to deal with Charlotte's disabilities; she would have to develop a new skill set to be able to see Charlotte as a person with unique abilities.

A riveting and intensely personal memoir, A Special Education reveals the long and arduous process of Charlotte's development as well as Buchman's own path to self-discovery. Confessing frequent anxiety, guilt, frustration, and anger, Buchman describes the difficult search to find the right school and care for Charlotte and the strain the process put on her marriage and family life. In addition, Buchman tells of her own struggles with excessive drinking and workaholism-and of finally letting go of her drive to be "perfect."

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #387489 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-14
• Format: Bargain Price
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 196 pages

From Publishers Weekly
The famous clothing designer recounts with tremendous candor her difficult and transformative acceptance of her daughter's lifetime of learning difficulties. At 35, newly married, pregnant and offered the chance to start her own knitwear label, Buchman was a hard-driven, perfectionist New Yorker determined to "have it all." But Charlotte, her first born, soon exhibited slow growth in movement and language, and at age four underwent a battery of tests that revealed she suffered from dyslexia, attention deficit disorder and a host of other developmental difficulties. Buchman and her husband were faced with coming to terms with having a "disabled child"—requiring not only special schools and a herculean patience but the courage to overcome the shame and guilt associated with acknowledging publicly that their life wasn't perfect. Moreover, Buchman recognized she tended to favor her needier child over her second "normal" child, although the siblings eventually excelled in areas that didn't compete with each other. With therapy and specialists to prepare her for the larger world, Charlotte, now in college, is well on her way to a productive life. Buchman's forthright memoir (and list of resources) will go far in lightening the pall surrounding children with special needs. (Mar.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Fashion designer Buchman, in the midst of a career of accomplishments, knew nothing about learning disabilities when her toddler was diagnosed with neurological, spatial, and motor-skill problems. As Charlotte grew older, she manifested dyslexia, had trouble counting and telling stories, and moved awkwardly. Buchman, used to overcoming obstacles, wondered how she was going to "fix" this. She recounts the process of learning about--and accepting--Charlotte's disabilities and finding schools that would help her learn to be a functioning adult; she now attends college. In this intense memoir, Buchman details her journey to find the means to help her daughter learn, a journey that became one of self-discovery as well. Families facing similar issues will appreciate this heartfelt and inspiring book. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"An honest, moving story of a mother’s struggle to come to terms with her daughter's needs." -- Curled Up with a Good Book, March 2006

"An inspiring account of one mother's journey to acceptance and understanding as well as a family's triumph over daunting circumstances." -- (Adolescence, Summer 2006)

"An inspiring account of one mother's journey to acceptance and understanding as well as a family's triumph over daunting circumstances." -- Family Therapy, 2006

"An intensely personal journey of courage and a closely developing relationship between mother and daughter." -- Midwest Book Review, 6/06

"An intensely personal memoir...which should go a long way toward lifting the stigma of learning disabilities. Highly recommended." -- Library Journal, 2/15/06

"Extremely personal and moving ... An inspiring and poignant account." -- Scholastic Parent and Child, April 2006

"Good reading for parents facing any level of special need in their children…Uplifting." -- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 05/24/06

"[A] candid and deeply personal memoir." -- Dallas Morning News, April 6, 2006

"[A] candid, courageous and engaging book." -- The Stamford Times, 9/15/2006

Buchman is surprisingly honest. -- Kansas City Star, 03/27/06

Customer Reviews

I was jealous and distracted!
I could relate to Buchman's experience as a mother, as a mother of a disabled child. I think all of us have gone through similar emotions and struggles. What was distracting for me - and perhaps I missed the point of the book because of it - was how easy it is for wealthy people like Dana Buchman to get prompt and expert help for their children. In fact I am resentful of the fact that I can't afford THE BEST therapy treatments for my daughter at this time, and we have no nanny, specialists, or private schools TO CHOOSE. So you see it is not really a choice at all. While learning disorders and disabilities can effect ALL children, SOME parents and children have MORE OPTIONS to deal with it. The rest of us have that much more suffering to go through.

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!

The Emotions Run True
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.