Who I Am
I am an autistic guy with a message. I spent the first half of my life completely trapped in silence. The second – on becoming a free soul. I had to fight to get an education but I succeeded, graduating high school with a diploma and a 3.9 GPA. I am continuing my education in college. I communicate by typing on an iPad or a letter board. My first book, Ido inAutismland is an autism diary, telling the story of my symptoms, education, and journey into communication. My second book, In Two Worlds, is a novel. I hope through my work to help other autistic people find a way out of their silence too.
My Books
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!
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My Videos
My NBC Video with Dr. Bruce
Click here to see the article
My Video from the LA TImes
Recent Comments
- Naughty Autie on History Repeats Itself
- How “Autism Warrior Parents” Harm Autistic Kids — THINKING PERSON’S GUIDE TO AUTISM – som2nypost.com on Motor Difficulties in Severe Autism
- admin on Ido in Autismland is now also an audiobook
- Kara on Ido in Autismland is now also an audiobook
- How “Autism Warrior Parents” Harm Autistic Kids on Motor Difficulties in Severe Autism
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The Courage to Hear, to Learn, to Change
Guts means the courage to change. My book, my speeches, and my efforts have challenged people who have gotten accustomed to seeing severe autism in a traditional way. We need rudimentary lessons. We need drills to learn words, understand emotions, recognize the people in our lives, notice gender. We need baby talk because we don’t understand English or speech. We need M&Ms because we have no motivation. It is an illusion to imagine we can be more.
So, I am honored and amazed when parents and educators write to me that my explanations changed this thinking after years of seeing it one way. One person said it “hit him like an anvil on the head.” One described how he was, “shaken to the core.” One mom wrote a long letter about how she had always believed that the potential for her son to type was “delusional,” but after reading my book she understood how he could be smart but trapped internally. Now she types with him freely. He is 20 and finally able to communicate his ideas and finally is seen as intelligent. Brave moms, Brave dads, because they now have to face systems that have to look at why their methods could not see this possibility in the person with autism.
“I now speak normally with my son and it has changed everything,” I hear over and over. “I see my students differently,” I hear as well. One brave teacher wrote that she now wonders if she has been going at it wrong for decades. Kudos to them for thinking openly. It is guts.
I will tell you one lady with guts is my old teacher from when I was small. I write in my book how I loved her in spite of my frustration and boredom in her class due to babyish lessons and repetition. Fate has plans and recently my mom ran into her many times after years of no contact. After several weeks she told my mom she would like to read my book. I knew it would be painful for her because I talk about her- not by name, but she would know. I wrote her a note. After reading my book she came to my mom with a letter for me. She wrote that she tried to read it through my eyes. She was powerfully impacted and was determined to teach differently, to see her students differently too. She has been teaching a long time. This is guts and I admire her.
This entry was posted in attitude, autism, autism perceptions, autism theories, change, courage, parents, teachers. Bookmark the permalink.
I am so very happy to have found your blog, which I have shared with my son. He is on a similar journey, having learned to type this past July. He feels as you do that it is his responsibility to make his voice heard. I love that there are so many voices like yours to guide the thinking of others who care but still have a lot to learn. My son also writes on my blog if you ever have a chance to visit: http://www.daysixtyseven.blogspot.com