Colonie Central High School art teacher Lisa Benanto was finding it difficult to explain to her daughter Katie, 5, the details of her 7-year-old son Brandon’s autism so she decided to write a book about it to help her understand.
“I constantly looked for books to use for my daughter, who was at the time 3 to 4 years old, to describe her brother’s disability,” said Benanto. “My intended audience is for small children because they just don’t have any books for them.”
Benanto wrote the book “I Have a Brother” from her daughter’s point of view, simply detailing the different interactions she has had with her brother where she starts to notice that he acts differently than other children. In one example, Katie and her brother are playing, but she notices he will not look at her in the eyes.
“He doesn’t look at my eyes when I say, ‘Look at my eyes. I’m talking to you,’” Benanto said, describing a scene in the book. “Or ‘Mommy said he’s like Peter Pan; it’s hard for him to grow up.’”
The book also contains some questions at the end that Benanto hopes will spark a discussion among family members to help them understand autism a little more. Benanto said her household is very open about Brandon’s disorder, which is on the autism spectrum, and it has helped her daughter have a better understanding of what it entails.
“I showed them the book and said, ‘This is you and this is you,’” Benanto said. “I read that to my daughter, and she thinks it’s cooler now.”
“She knows that she’s good at dance and making friends but know her brother struggles with making friends while he’s good at math,” Benanto said.
Benanto has had to fit writing the book between teaching and taking care of the kids, including bringing them to the many activities they are involved in. Multi-taking became key, and when she would take her kids to swimming practice, she would have a roll of paper in front of her where she would be writing out the story and drawing the pictures.
Katie and Brandon both got used to seeing their mother working on the book during her free time, Benanto said, and they were very involved in the writing process.
“I showed them the book and said, ‘This is you and this is you,’” Benanto said. “I read that to my daughter, and she thinks it’s cooler now.”
All of the writing and the drawings were done by Benanto, but she did get some help with the layout from her nephew, who is getting a degree in graphic arts at the University at Buffalo.
Benanto went to Bokland Custom Visuals in Albany, where she scanned all of the pictures she was going the use for the book. She then decided to self-publish the book and brought it to a local printer. After it was printed, she handed out copies to various organizations and charities that deal with children with autism. Benanto also gave one to every principal in the South Colonie Central School District.
Kristin Scott, a kindergarten teacher at Milton South Elementary School, had both Katie and Brandon in her class and said the book held a personal meaning for her. She said the questions in the back of the book are very helpful to families trying to start a dialogue about autism and the story is something younger children can relate to.
“The philosophy is to be open with children,” Scott said. “[Autism] is being mainstreamed into the classroom more. They need to learn they don’t have to be afraid of a person with Asperger’s. They just learn differently.”
Benanto said she wants to continue to write these types of books for children in kindergarten and preschool. Her hope at this point is to find a publisher.
“I’m using a gift I have and am giving back to the community,” Benanato said. “It’s an act of charity.”
