In Two Worlds

Seven-year-old Anthony has autism. He flaps his hands. He makes strange noises. He can’t speak or otherwise communicate his thoughts. Treatments, therapies, and theories about his condition define his daily existence. Yet Anthony isn’t improving much. Year after year his remedial lessons drone on. Anthony gets older and taller, but his speech remains elusive and his school lessons never advance. Life seems to be passing him by. Until one day, everything changes.
In Two Worlds is a compelling tale, rich with unforgettable characters who are navigating their way through the multitude of theories about autism that for decades have dictated the lives of thousands of children and their families. This debut work of fiction sheds light on the inner and outer lives of children with nonspeaking autism, and on their two worlds. As one of the only works of fiction written by a person with nonspeaking autism, it offers readers an unprecedented insider’s point-of-view into autism and life in silence, and it does so with warmth, humor and a wickedly sharp intellect.

About the author

Ido Kedar, 21, is the author of Ido in Autismland: Climbing Out of Autism’s Silent Prison, a memoir he wrote as a young teenager. Ido in Autismland has had a huge impact on the lives of people with autism and their families. It has also successfully challenged members of the professional community to look at autism theories with fresh eyes. Ido spent the first seven years of his life locked in silence with no means to show his intelligence. Now he communicates and writes by typing on an iPad or keyboard, and by pointing to letters on a letter board. He has advocated tirelessly to change the paradigm that governs the way nonspeaking autism is understood and treated. In Two Worlds is Ido’s first novel.