An IEP of My Own

In this candid memoir, Alicia Johnson reveals for the first time her childhood struggles with a learning disability and the challenges she still faces as a businesswoman and mother. She tells her story in the structure of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) created for special education students, a document both beloved for the additional support it brings and hated for the sense of shame and failure that comes with it. An IEP of My Own reclaims this document as a lifelong record of overcoming childhood frustration and alienation, discovering one's own unique aptitudes as a young person, and working hard to find success as an adult.

What is it that makes letters and numbers so hard to learn? Why is it hard to follow directions, tell time, or sit still? Why is it hard to relate to other children in school, and what is it like to be labeled "the bad kid" no matter how hard you try? An IEP of My Own brings the clarity of firsthand experience to these troubling questions and many more.

Parents and educators with special-needs kids will gain a new level of empathy and understanding from Alicia's down-to-earth analysis of what life is like with a learning disability. People with dyslexia and similar disabilities will find a sympathetic and relatable voice in Alicia's story, comfort in knowing they are not alone in their struggles, and inspiration from the ways Alicia learned to advocate for herself and pursue her goals in life.