In advance of her event at 7 p.m. May 9 at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St., Beth Kaplan of Oak Park — whose 12-year-old son, Jacob, is autistic — answered a few questions for the Oak Leaves on April 19 about the process of writing her book, “Silence 2 Success: A Mother’s Journey with Autism,” and what she hopes it offers other parents.
Copies of her book will be available for purchase.
Q: Can you talk about your experience with autism?
A: My son, Jacob, was diagnosed with autism at 20 months. At that point, I just kind of kicked it into high gear. I researched and did the best I could to find the right plan for him. Unfortunately, with autism, there’s no road map. The book kind of chronicles from the day I found out I was pregnant to the current. Now, Jacob is 12 and doing great. He’s mainstream at school. It’s given him a real sense of who he is. We’ve always been open and transparent about things.
Q: What kinds of things does the book address?
A: It talks about therapies, working with the public schools, support services in the community, where we are now, our hopes and dreams for the future. It’s a memoir, but it’s also a resource guide. There’s lots of links and other things, especially for local people.
Q: What was the writing process like for you?
A: The most ironic thing I tell people is I’m not an author; I’m not a writer. It was really my husband who encouraged me. I started writing three years ago, but we were still too close to it. It made me cry. Three years later, here we are. I want to help other people, because in the beginning, we felt like, oh my God, where do we start? This past summer, I saw how people could self-publish on Amazon. I thought, you know what? I have a story to share.
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Q: Advice for parents who’ve just learned their child has autism?
A: Don’t do this alone. Find a support group, reach out to other special education parents, investigate all local resources. An autism diagnosis can be isolating for parents. Remember, you are not alone.
Caitlin Mullen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.