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Faces of the Tri-State: First-time author releases fictional story to help people understand autism
Local author and teacher Mary Calhoun Brown visits fifth grade students on Friday, Jan. 22, 2010, at Nichols Elementary School in Barboursville.
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HUNTINGTON -- There's no real way to know what Mary Calhoun Brown would be doing today had her first son not been diagnosed on the autism spectrum as a kindergartner.
But here she is 10 years later and a published author. Her first book, "There Are No Words," was recently released and has garnered national awards and international attention.
The book is about an autistic girl who has never spoken before. But she falls into a painting set in 1918 and can speak for the first time. With the knowledge of a train wreck that will kill one of her grandfather's friends, Jaxon MacKenzie finds herself in a time before the accident and faces the question of whether she can stop it.
It's a fictional tale that has a strong underlying message she hopes children will grasp. Brown said she wants children to see their peers, whether they have autism or another learning disability, as a regular kid who is just a little different.
"I wanted to make the main character someone you liked and could fall in love with," said Brown, who grew up in Rome Township across the river in Ohio but now lives in Huntington. "The real goal behind the book is to demystify the disabilities for the peer group. It's really meant to break down walls."
Her son, William, provided all the inspiration for the story, she said. He has Asperger's Syndrome, which is the highest-functioning form of autism on the spectrum. It sometimes goes unnoticed by parents until their child starts school and cannot pick up on or may lack inborn social skills.
"When he was in kindergarten, the teacher had us come in and said, 'I think your son is mentally retarded,'" Brown said. "He scored off the charts, but he didn't interact well."
Brown said they didn't get an official diagnosis for months until they went to a specialist in Columbus. Though she knew her son was intelligent -- his IQ is near genius -- the news was still disheartening.
"There is a moment when someone looks you in the eye and says, 'Your child has autism,'" Brown said.
Then she picked up a book that helped her realize that there was nothing out there to cure William. Rather, it is something to be loved like anything else.
Once the diagnosis was made, William excelled throughout elementary school. When he got to middle school, Brown said she and her husband, Campbell, moved William and their other two children, Harrison and Dewey, to Our Lady of Fatima Parish School.
For weeks, she said, William would come home crying because the other kids made fun of him. After much prayer, she decided to home school him. And after she sent him to Huntington High School in 2008, she decided she would write a book.
"This has been a real joy," Brown said, admitting that her life has turned out nothing like she thought. "Every part has been more fun than I'd thought."
After her book was picked up by Lucky Press, Brown reread the manuscript so she could develop a free curriculum guide for teachers who planned to use the book in class. Locally, St. Joseph High School has taken advantage and is assigning the book for its eighth-graders.
She's also been asked to speak on the book and did a presentation to students at Nichols Elementary last week.
"There Are No Words" was named the runner up at the Nashville Book Festival in November and has been met with rave reviews all across America. The book also has been chosen as a winner for the 2011 by the International Board on Books for Young People, which is based in Switzerland.
"The attention it's brought me has really been surprising," she said. "I would like the book to stand out on its own."
It was due to be released Feb. 1, but "There Are No Words" is already available online at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
Mary Calhoun Brown
Hometown: Proctorville, Ohio
Current home: Brown lives with her husband, Campbell, and their three sons -- William, Harrison and Dewey -- in Huntington.
Education and work: Brown attended Marshall University and majored in journalism. Professionally, she did public relations for the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce and the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce. She also helped edit non-fiction financial books written by her husband, who is a stockbroker.
Other passions: The family loves professional basketball, having recently watched a game at Madison Square Garden in New York. Her two youngest sons play, and Harrison is ranked nationally by Adidas. She also spends quiet time reading.
The future: Brown said she is already planning her next fictional work that also will incorporate autism.
Book opportunties: Written to meet or exceed fourth- through eighth-grade content standards and objectives, "There Are No Words" integrates literature, vocabulary and character education.
Free curriculum guides are available for educators via e-mail requests at email@marycalhounbrown.com. In-person visits are available free to schools within a two-hour radius of Huntington.
More information and a selection of reviews are available at www.marycalhounbrown.com.
