Our guests are Ido Kedar and Tracy Kedar. Ido Kedar is a non-speaking Autistic Young Man. He is a phenomenal 23-year-old Californian who, through the saving grace of technology and perseverance, now has a voice in his life and is using it to lobby for huge changes. He is an author and advocate who inspires and educates others. Tracy Kedar, Ido's mother, shares with us her journey as the parent of a non-verbal child with severe autism.

Imagine this: Your child is 7 years old and cannot speak one word. He is trapped, misunderstood, and living in the silent world of autism.  That was the unimaginable reality that Tracy & Sharon Kedar experienced with their son, Ido. Until there was a breakthrough.

While Ido was unable to talk due to motor apraxia and would flap his hands and make strange noises, no one knew he was fully aware of everything going on around him – and – he completely understood everything that was being said about him.  He just could not verbalize because of his severe disability.  Then one day Ido showed his parents that he had theory of mind, he was capable, and he was smart. He communicated by pointing on a low-tech laminated letterboard to spell words.  Later, through advances in computer technology, he learned to use an iPad so he could “voice” his thoughts and feelings. That is when everything changed.

To share his miraculous story, Ido wrote the novel In Two Worlds <https://www.amazon.com/Two-Worlds-Ido-Kedar/dp/1732291500/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=in+two+worlds&qid=1582644023&s=books&sr=1-1> .  It is one of the only works of fiction ever written by a person with nonspeaking autism.  After reading the book, Ido hopes people will look at autism in a new, different and more positive way.

Contact Ido Kedar: idosocialmedia@gmail.com

Like Ido's Facebook Page Click Here! <https://www.facebook.com/IdoInAutismland/>

 <https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=0B9pRUifeH9hoWWxRYWxvS1lSWUE&revid=0B9pRUifeH9hoM3Z1czZwZytMNU5mdU1KR24yYWJtMWs1UW1jPQ>

Julie Ames

Special Needs Family Hour