I’m thrilled to share that my new book, a novel called In Two Worlds, will be released in early July. I will share the formal announcement very soon. It will be available in paperback form on Amazon, in kindle and also online on Smashwords.
I hope that you will let people know about it and if you like it, I would greatly appreciate if you could write a review online, on Amazon or on Goodreads.
In gratitude,
Ido
For the past several years I have been writing a book. It has been interesting and hard work for me. I can’t write swiftly like a ten finger typist would since I can only point to letters or type with one index finger. Because of this, I have to always keep my plot outline and my scenes planned mentally because I am able to write just a few paragraphs at one sitting.
But, my book is at last finished. It is now in the final proofreading stages and it is in the process of having the cover art designed. It should see the light of day in a few months and I will give you more information as it goes.
I will share with you that my new book is a work of fiction. It tells the story of a boy with autism named Anthony. I hope when you read his story that you will come to care about him and his family and his two worlds.
Posted in autism, book, books by authors with autism, fiction, Ido Kedar
I am a bit ashamed to realize that I haven’t written anything in my blog since January. To be fair to myself, I have been writing another book. I have finally completed my first draft and hopefully soon I can let you know more about it. I think this book will be more accessible for people who know nothing about autism but it will also be interesting for those who live it every day.
Writing a book is a big undertaking. My typing is slow but I eventually complete what I start. I am eager to let you know more about it and will in the near future. I thank you all for your support and patience with my long silences over the last two years.
Posted in book, Ido in Autismland, Ido Kedar
If you are wondering why I haven’t posted much recently it is because I am working on a new book. I am very excited about this one. I will keep you posted as it develops.
Other exciting news is that Ido in Autismland is now available in Japanese!
Here is a link to the webpage for those who read Japanese.
http://www.asukashinsha.co.jp/book/b244650.html
Posted in autism, book, Ido in Autismland, Ido Kedar, idoinautismland
Dillan and Ido
Ido has been a figure of importance for those of us on a journey to find our voices. I have known him a long time, and he has given me advice, hope and footsteps to follow in my time as a communicator. I don’t know if I would have had the same success now that I have achieved in my struggle against silence without him to forge a path before us. I would like to think I could have, and I wonder how much it must have been so frightening to make those paths without his own guide ahead. Ido gave me a lot when he had so many of his own trials to face. We all have to fight so hard to beat autism, a school system that doesn’t know what to do with us, and expert behaviorists who denounce our accomplishments as a hoax. Ido still found it in himself to take the time to help me in this struggle, and he even wrote to me in his book. I hope a younger version of me can look at my story and I can do for him what Ido has done for me.
The process of bringing true education to people with autism is as complex as the condition itself. In my school, Ido was first down that road, and I was able to look at his experience and know the challenges ahead and what mistakes to avoid. And further down the road, the next student will be able to refine the process. We keep building and learning how to learn. There will never be a perfect way, and that is good. Always adapting is the perfect way, and Ido began that all in my school. It is most important to be open to knowing that there are undiscovered modes of learning. Already many teachers are fixed in their ways and unwilling to admit to a need for change. Our presence in the classroom will show them an example they cannot ignore. I am grateful to Ido for being the first of hopefully many.
Posted in autism, autism education, Ido Kedar, intelligence, mentoring
For those who speak Italian, here is Ido on Swiss news.
Posted in Ido Kedar, idoinautismland, Italian, news, Uncategorized
Ido is a pioneer in advancing our knowledge about autism and people with complex communication challenges. Ido’s book, Ido in Autismland, is by far the most powerful book I have read about autism. Other authors write compelling books about autism, prompting us to think about those on the autism spectrum. But Ido is different. He is extraordinary because he changes the way we think about autism. He disrupts our misguided notions that lack of speech equates to lack of intelligence; that students with autism are impoverished of expressing or recognizing emotions; and that all students who are non-verbal belong in special day classes without the opportunity for inclusion. Contrary to many of the messages the world receives on a daily basis about people with autism, Ido’s book tells us that the minds of people with autism are as complex, creative, and intelligent as yours and mine.
On a personal level, reading Ido’s book was transformative and allowed my relationship with my son to turn a corner. I now talk to Diego like I would any other smart and capable 6-year-old. I make efforts to talk to Diego, not about him, when he’s in the room. Ido, Diego, and children like them are nonverbal, affected by autism, and brilliant. By typing to communicate, they blow us away with their complex insights, imaginative ideas, and witty humor.
If you are a professional in the autism field, I invite you to think outside of the box about what “conventional wisdom” on autism tells us. Without doubt, this takes courage. It means acknowledging that we do not know everything about autism. You might learn, as I did, that our perceptions about the capabilities of non-verbal individuals are wrong. Rather than dismiss RPM or other approaches to support typing, I encourage you to educate yourself about the approaches. Interact with individuals who have learned to type. Read Ido’s book or watch videos of children and teenagers who point to letter boards or type independently. For example,
And, of course, Ido has posted great video clips of him typing on this website. For example,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLtQWXdDCFo
From one professional to another and from one parent to another, I urge you to take a chance to learn more before dismissing approaches to support our children who otherwise have limited means to communicate. We have the power to make real change by enabling the individuals we care for and serve to communicate in rich and meaningful ways.
-Edlyn Vallejo Peña, Ph.D.
Here is my NBC piece. I hope you like it.
Posted in Ido in Autismland, Ido Kedar, NBC
Here is a playable link to the radio interview my mother and I did with Autism Spectrum Therapies in Honor of Autism Awareness month. My interview starts about ten minutes into the broadcast. My segment was pre-recorded because otherwise there would have been a lot of silence while I typed my replies.
Hope you like it.
http://www.voiceamerica.com/guest/16686/ido-kedar
At long last my book is ready to be purchased on Amazon. Soon I hope to have a kindle version as well. I hope you find it interesting. Please let people know about it, and please consider writing a review on Amazon after you read it.
Thank you,
Ido
Posted in autism, Communication, Ido in Autismland, Ido Kedar, memoir, non-verbal
My newest book is now available in paperback, on Kindle, and on Smashwords!
My first book is available in paperback, Nook, Kindle, and iBook editions!
