Anne Ford served as chairman of the board of the National Center for Learning Disabilities from 1989 to 2001. Ford has received many honors for her work, including the Lizette H. Sarnoff Award for Volunteer Service from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Leslie University for her advocacy work for people with learning disabilities. She has spoken on this issue at numerous corporations such as JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Ford Motor Company.
She has co-authored several books with John-Richard Thompson: Laughing Allegra, On Their Own, and A Special Mother. These three books were designated as finalists for the Books for a Better Life Awards. Her fourth book is The Forgotten Child: “If She Is Special, What Am I?” When Learning Disabilities Cause Tension in the Home.