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

American fashion designer Dana Buchman tells the story of her daughter Charlotte’s life-long 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 eldest 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, the strain the process put on her marriage and family dynamics. Buchman also tells of her own struggles with excessive drinking, work-aholism 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.