I am new to Duplication Cares and to posting to the blog so please forgive me if any of these recommendations are repeats!
First, as an introduction, my daughter, Jenna was recently diagnosed with the 7q11.23 Duplication Syndrome. She is already 13 so our worries are slowly turning from "figuring her out" to acceptance and thinking about her adult future.
So, for the reason I am writing: I would like to recommend two books that I recently read that I could identify with in many ways.
The first is Laughing Allegra: The Inspiring Story of a Mother's Struggle and Triumph Raising a Daughter with Learning Disabilities. It is written by the great granddaughter of Henry Ford, Anne Ford, and it's all about her journey from kindergarten through college with her learning disabled daughter. As the title indicates, it truly is an inspiring story. She stays with her daughter advocating for her every step of the way and somehow they keep their sense of humor through it all. Allegra may not be exactly like our kids as she is extremely social, verbal and extroverted, but she does struggle with making friends and the pain of social isolation. I found myself pretty emotional while I was reading, but at the same time the book offers concrete advice for us as well. I don't think Allegra has any diagnosis other than "learning disability", but she was raised before all of the improvements in genetics testing! I think she is currently around 36 and living independently.
Also, I am currently reading another book by Anne Ford, On Their Own, Creating an Independent Future for Your Adult Child With Learning Disabilities and ADHD. As we know, most disabilities do not disappear when our children become adults so this book gives us a roadmap for getting them up and out and then what to realistically expect when they get there!
Both books are loving tributes to Anne's daughter, Allegra.
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