Colonie Central High School art teacher, Lisa Benanto, with her newly-authored children's book.

CCHS Art Teacher Authors Children's Book On Understanding Children With Disabilities

Posted october 19, 2011

When a child has a disability it can be tough on a family, especially for the young brothers and sisters who often struggle to understand the situation at home.

That was the personal dilemma facing Colonie Central High School art teacher Lisa Benanto until she took matters into her own hands.

Benanto’s 7-year-old son, Brandon, has PDD-NOS – a form of Autism. His 5-year-old sister, Katie, has many questions that aren’t always easy to answer. To help Katie understand, Benanto spent a lot of time searching for children’s books on the subject but she came up empty. So she decided to write and illustrate a children’s book of her own.

“I Have a Brother” is a social story told from Katie’s perspective. It is written for children ages 3-6 with the hopes of helping young minds and families understand what siblings with disabilities go through in life.

“The purpose of the book is to foster discussion within the nuclear family about these issues and strengthen family ties,” Benanto said. “I hope my story is a help to others.”

To accomplish this goal, the CCHS art teacher has been busy sharing her book with others. Copies have been handed out to many organizations like Helping Hands and Saratoga Bridges as well as to South Colonie elementary school teachers and other school personnel.