A radio program discussing new developments and research in autism, with parents of autistic children and a professor who recovered from autism among the guests.

Ido in Autismland opens a window into non-verbal autism through dozens of short, autobiographical essays each offering new insights into autism symptoms, effective and ineffective treatments and the inner emotional life of a severely autistic boy. In his pithy essays, author Ido Kedar, a brilliant sixteen year old with autism, challenges what he believes are misconceptions in many theories that dominate autism treatment today while he simultaneously chronicles his personal growth in his struggles to overcome his limitations. Ido spent the first half of his life locked internally, in silence, trapped in a remedial educational system that presumed he lacked the most basic comprehension, and unable to show the world that he understood everything. But at the age of seven, Ido was finally able to show that he had an intact mind and could understand. This led to the quest to find a system of communication that he could use despite his impaired motor control. Through the use of a letter board, and now an iPad, Ido has triumphed communicatively, enabling him to flourish in a regular high school in all general education classes. But Ido has a larger goal. He does not want to be seen as an isolated autistic exception with miraculously advanced cognitive and communication abilities. He wants people to see that thousands of other severely autistic individuals have the same capacity, but remain trapped and locked-in, as he was, unable to show their true capacities. These individuals desperately need new theories and new methods to help them break free too. Of importance to neuro-researchers, educators, psychologists, doctors, parents, friends, family and people with autism, Ido in Autismland will change our collective understanding of severe autism. PRAISE FOR Ido in Autismland "There are doubtless many Idos in this world, unable to speak, yet possessing good intellectual ability and, most certainly, a rich emotional life. And yet, precisely because they cannot communicate, nonverbal individuals with autism are nearly always consigned to the junk heap of mental deficiency, branded as incapable of understanding language or even having feelings... We need to help change things for this terribly neglected group... Reading Ido's book is a good beginning." - Portia Iversen, Co-founder, Cure Autism Now and the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange Gene Bank. Author of Strange Son "Ido is a brilliant communicator. His words bring us inside the world of autism. His gift of writing enlightens, inspires, educates. Every person who loves or works with someone with autism - educator, therapist, karent, grandparent, neighbor - should read Ido in Autismland." - Elaine Hall, Author of Now I See the Moon, co-author of Seven Keys to Unlock Autism. Featured in Autism: The Musical "Ido's book touches any heart, not only because it is well written, but because it reveals a mind that has learned how to speak to the world through spelling every word on a letter board and keyboard. His book is indeed a great gift to the world. Thank you, Ido." - Soma Mukhopadhyay, Executive Director of Education, HALO, Author of Understanding Autism through Rapid Prompting Method

Once in a great while, a special person emerges in the history of science and medicine whose unique set of characteristics sheds light on an entire disorder and sometimes even on the mysteries of the human brain.Tito is such a person.Although he is severely autistic and nearly nonverbal, his ability to communicate through his extraordinary writing is astonishing.At the age of three, Tito was diagnosed with severe autism, but his mother, with boundless hope and determination, read to him and taught him to write in English.She also challenged him to write his own stories.The result of their efforts is this remarkable book-written when he was 8 to 11 years old-comprising profound and startling philosophical prose and poetry.His beautifully crafted language reveals how it feels to be locked inside an autistic body and mind.THE MIND TREE is the work of an artist.With each page, Tito bursts through his silence into a world of art, beauty and hope.

A story never before told and a memoir to help change our understanding of the world around us, 13-year-old Naoki Higashida's astonishing, empathetic book takes us into the mind of a boy with severe autism. With an introduction by David Mitchell, author of the global phenomenon, Cloud Atlas, and translated by his wife, KA Yoshida. Naoki Higashida was only a middle-schooler when he began to write The Reason I Jump. Autistic and with very low verbal fluency, Naoki used an alphabet grid to painstakingly spell out his answers to the questions he imagines others most often wonder about him: why do you talk so loud? Is it true you hate being touched? Would you like to be normal? The result is an inspiring, attitude-transforming book that will be embraced by anyone interested in understanding their fellow human beings, and by parents, caregivers, teachers, and friends of autistic children. Naoki examines issues as diverse and complex as self-harm, perceptions of time and beauty, and the challenges of communication, and in doing so, discredits the popular belief that autistic people are anti-social loners who lack empathy. This book is mesmerizing proof that inside an autistic body is a mind as subtle, curious, and caring as anyone else's.

The story of one ... little boy trapped in silence.

Running is a way of life for the Schneider family, but for them, it's about much more than fitness and competition. Silent Running: Our Family's Journey to the Finish Line with Autism is the story of how running saved their lives. At 21 months old, identical twin brothers Alex and Jamie were diagnosed with autism. It was 1992, a time when autism was far from a household word, before online autism forums and advocacy groups even existed. Robyn and her husband Allan were heartsick, but determined to find a cure for their sons, and thus their journey into the world of autism began. But soon it was clear that both Alex and Jamie had severe autism and would most likely not be cured. In Silent Running, Robyn Schneider takes readers on an intimate journey from a double diagnosis of autism, through many years of heartache, to a place of joy. Silent Running is a story of unrelenting love, of parents who never stop chasing after the silver lining, intent on finding happiness for their sons. And find happiness they do—in running. In Schneider's moving memoir, readers see Alex and Jamie transformed through running, their lives enriched. And eventually they reach a place where running, rather than autism, defines them. Along the journey, both Robyn and Allan face their own personal challenges. Allan begins running to help manage his symptoms of multiple sclerosis, and Robyn, while undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, laces up her own running shoes, determined to run her way to recovery—for her family and for herself. And she hasn't stopped. Despite their incredible daily challenges, Alex and Jamie have now run in almost 150 mainstream races, including nine marathons. And Robyn and Allan have been right there, either cheering for or running alongside their sons. In Silent Running, Robyn Schneider shares her family's remarkable story of triumph in the face of enormous hurdles, and the passion that has fueled their fight. It is an extraordinary and ins