Testimonials

What People Are Saying

Don’t just take it from me…let my clients do the talking!
Come to Life is an incredibly engaging, optimistic and forward-looking work, based on the wisdom of Thomas Iland, a respected and wise autistic self-advocate, and Emily Iland, his mother and a seasoned professional in the field of autism. Infused with Thomas’s personal life experiences, it provides a vast array of self-discovery activities and resources designed to increase each child or adult’s self-awareness, confidence, self-acceptance and understanding of one’s autism as an essential foundation of one’s identity. It is a cutting-edge work that is designed to help an individual explore the gifts autism may bring, as well as effective strategies to address its inherent challenges. I highly recommend this book for parents, professionals, and most of all, for autistic people.
Barry M. Prizant, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Adjunct Professor, Brown University & Author of 'Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism' https://tinyurl.com/y9vrpz5e

Thomas is “Da Bomb!”
Stephen Shore

ED.D, Adelphi University

Come to Life is a guidebook that will benefit any young adult, whether on the autism spectrum or not. This book is a must for any parent who feels as if they are ‘falling off a cliff’ as their child ages out of the public school system. Every educator and related service professional needs to read Come to Life and share it with parents, teens, and adults who can benefit from it. Thank you Thomas and Emily for writing this most necessary, immediately usable guide for young adults who are transitioning into the “real world.”
Elaine Hall

Author, Seven Keys to Unlock Autism and Now I See the Moon, Founder of The Miracle Project featured in the HBO film, Autism: The Musical

Thomas got the entire audience to participate in answering deep questions about themselves. Many participants reached an emotional level they had not reached before.
Julie Patterson

William S. Hart School District

This book is a wonderful look inside a young adult on the autism spectrum, literally ‘starting a life’. Thomas turns his hopes, dreams, and experiences into a set of useful tools to help other young people. His insights are dead on, and will give readers new opportunities to ‘help themselves.’
Caren Zucker

ABC TV News Producer & Author of In a Different Key: The Story of Autism

As a special education teacher working with young adults on the spectrum, Come to Life has everything I need to help my students learn to self-advocate and push themselves to reach their life goals. Come to Life reminds me to keep an open mind about the potential of all my students and the great possibilities life may hold for them.
Bret Lieberman

Special Educator, Santa Clarita, CA

Come to Life is a powerful gift from Thomas and Emily Iland to the autism/disability community! I started doing the exercises with my 14-year-old son and was so grateful to finally have an appropriate road map to talk about the future with him. I love Thomas’s mantra Know Yourself, Love Yourself, Be Yourself! For any parent that has been overwhelmed thinking about how to get their kids excited about being an adult, this is the book you’ve been waiting for! Within minutes my son and I were actually talking about what is important to him and what that might mean in his decision-making process. Kudos to the Ilands for writing the book we all so desperately need!
Shannon Penrod

Autism Mom, Host of Autism Live

Come to Life offers innovative tools that can help self-advocates become who they want to be. The strategies provided by Thomas and Emily are first-hand, not only from their own journey with autism but also from the extensive work they have done in the field. Parents, guardians, educators, job coaches and service providers can do the activities in Come to Life with young adults to support their transition goals and help them pursue independent lives.
Nelsinia Ramos

Parent Services Coordinator for Wisconsin FACETS

“Life doesn't come to you...it's up to YOU...to COME TO LIFE!”
THOMAS ILAND