Jennifer Cook

Not to be confused with Jennifer Cooke.

Jennifer Cook
Cook at a Ed Asner Family Center event, 2018
Born	Jennifer Lynn Cook (1975-10-24) October 24, 1975 (age 49) Glen Ridge, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation	Author speaker
Language	English
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Brown University Columbia University
Subject	Autism
Notable works	Asperkids book series Autism in Heels
Spouse	John O'Toole ​ ​ (m. 2001; div. 2018)​ Brett Banks ​ (m. 2019)​
Children	3

Jennifer Lynn Cook (formerly Cook O'Toole; born October 24, 1975) is an American author and speaker.[1] She is known for her six Asperkids books, which have been translated into six languages and include the winner of the Autism Society of America's Book of the Year Award. Her memoir, Autism in Heels,[2] is a Wall Street Journal Bestseller, and a "Best Book" title winner by Publishers Weekly. She is the on-camera autism expert in Netflix's series Love on the Spectrum.

Cook was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome in 2011; all three of her children have also been diagnosed with the condition.[3] In 2019, she became the inaugural Senior Directorial Consultant for the Jefferson Health Center for Autism and Neurodiversity in Philadelphia,[4] and was selected to address the United States' National Institutes of Health Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee regarding the unique issues surrounding women, girls, and autism.[5] Cook advised the President's Council on Disabilities and President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition at the White House in 2015, and, as an Advisor to the Sesame Workshop, has a voice in the development of Julia, the first autistic character on Sesame Street[6] and their "See the Amazing in Every Child" initiative.

She is a featured contributor in Tony Attwood's Top Aspie Mentors: Been There, Done That and Autism & Learning Differences,[7] and wrote the forewords to Dragonfly: A Daughter's Emergence from Autism: A Practical Guide for Parents and Easy to Love, Hard to Live With.[8] Cook sits on the Autism Society of America's Council of Autistic Advisors, is a columnist/expert panelist for Amy Poehler's Smart Girls,[9][10] Autism Asperger's Digest,[11] Zoom Autism magazine,[12] AuKids magazine,[13] Special magazine and the Journal for the North American Montessori Teachers' Association NAMTA, and is a commentator on NPR's WHYY[4] and WFAE,[1] as well as Fox's WTXF-TV[14] and NBC's Charlotte Today.[15]

Background

Cook was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, and grew up in West Caldwell. She is the only child of Joseph (d. 2007) and Jane Cook. Her father was an international commercial litigator. Her mother served as the only woman on their town council for 12 years.

Cook began dancing at age two, continuing through college. Cook attended Brown University, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. She majored in American Civilization, graduating with high honors in 1997.[16] She was hired as a counselor in the Domestic Violence Unit of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in Charlotte, North Carolina. In this capacity, she trained officers, led student-focused presentations in colleges and high schools, and served as a victim advocate. In 1999, Cook began Master's work at the Graduate School of Social Work at Columbia University in New York City. After Columbia, she enrolled at the Graduate School of Education at Queens University of Charlotte, while teaching language arts at both the middle school and high school levels.[17] In her first term, she garnered a student-initiated nomination for Disney's American Teacher of the Year Award.[18]

Personal life

Cook was married to John O'Toole from 2001 to 2018,[19][20] with whom she has three children.[3] She married her second husband, Brett Banks, in 2019. Cook and her family live near Charlotte, North Carolina. In addition to Asperger syndrome, she has synesthesia.[21]

Bibliography

Asperkids series

• Asperkids: An Insider's Guide to Loving, Understanding and Teaching Children with Asperger Syndrome
  (2012, Jessica Kingsley Publishers) ISBN 978-1849059022[17]
• The Asperkids' (Secret) Book of Social Rules: The Handbook of Not-So- Obvious Guidelines for Teens and Tweens
  (2012, Jessica Kingsley Publishers) ISBN 978-1849059152[22]
• The Asperkid's Launch Pad: Home Design That Empowers Everyday Superheroes
  (2013, Jessica Kingsley Publishers) ISBN 978-1849059312[23][24]
• The Asperkid's Not-Your-Average-Coloring Book
  (2013, Jessica Kingsley Publishers) ISBN 978-1849059589[16]
• The Asperkid's Game Plan: Purposeful Play, Extraordinary Minds.... Ordinary Stuff
  (2014, Jessica Kingsley Publishers) ISBN 978-1849059596[16]

Other books

• Sisterhood of the Spectrum: An Asperger Chick's Guide to Life
  (2015, Jessica Kingsley Publishers) ISBN 978-1849057905[25]
• Autism in Heels: The Untold Story of a Female Life on the Spectrum
  (2018, Skyhorse Publishers) ASIN B073X64DSV
• My Friend Julia: A Sesame Street Book about Autism
  (2023, Lerner Publishers) ASIN B0BP7S1FS9

Contributions

• Foreword for Dragonfly: A Daughter's Emergence from Autism: A Practical Guide for Parents by Lori Ashley Taylor
  (2018, Skyhorse Publishers)
• Foreword for Easy to Love but Hard to Live With: Real People, Invisible Disabilities, True Stories edited by Lisa Davis
  (2014, DRT Press) ISBN 978-1933084046
• Featured 'World's Top Aspie Mentors' contributor for Been There. Done That. Try This!: An Aspie's Guide to Life on Earth edited by Tony Attwood
  (2014, Jessica Kingsley Publishers) ISBN 978-1849059640
• Featured contributor for Autism and Learning Differences: An Active Learning, Teaching Toolkit by Michael P. MacMannon, with a foreword by Stephen Shore
  (2015, Jessica Kingsley Publishers) ISBN 978-1849057943

Podcast

• Speaking Geek: Translating Typical for the Human Spectrum[26]

Awards and honors

• Publishers Weekly: Best Books List[27]
• Booklist Book of Distinction Starred Review by the American Library Association[28]
• 24 Amazing Feminist Books of 2018, Book Riot, 2018[29]
• Outstanding Literary Work of the Year, Autism Society of America, 2014[30]
• 50 Most Influential Women in North Carolina, 2014[31]
• 25 Most Amazing Autistic Women, Autistic Spectrum Digest, August 2014[32]
• Temple Grandin Award for Outstanding Global Contributions, Future Horizons[33]
• Women Inspiring Strength & Hope Award, Make-A-Wish[34]
• GRASP Excellence in Parenting/Distinguished Spectrumite[33]
• AuKids Speaker of the Year[33]
• Leading Woman, The Kappa Alpha Theta Leading Women Award (2013)[35]
• Disney's Babble: Top 30 Autism Spectrum Blogs 2013
• Disney's Babble: Top 30 Autism Facebook Fan Pages 2013
• Disney's Babble: Top 30 Autism Websites
• Godiva's Woman of the Year, Nominee[33]

References

1. "Asperger Syndrome And 'Asperkids'". WFAE-NPR radio. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
2. "Different Normal Autism in Heels is a new memoir about life on the spectrum". Brown Alumni Magazine. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
3. Rhodes, Giulia. "Asperger's: 'This is our normal'". The Guardian. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
4. "Jefferson's autism-friendly initiative aims to make health care better for everyone". WHYY. Retrieved May 6, 2019.
5. "NIMH Special Event for Autism Awareness Month A Woman's Voice: Understanding Autistic Needs". Department of Health & Human Services: NIH/NIMH:IACC. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
6. "Autism, Sesame Style: How One Muppet Girl is Changing the World". Amy Poehler's Smart Girls. April 6, 2017. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
7. "Differences in Learning". Context Education. Archived from the original on November 4, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
8. "Easy to Love, Hard to Live With: Understanding the Challenges of Invisible Disabilities". RadioMD. Archived from the original on December 4, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
9. Cook O'Toole, Jennifer. "Aspergers and Autism in Girls: Don't Be Afraid of Your Awesomeness". Amy Poehler's Smart Girls. Archived from the original on October 31, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
10. "Aspergers and Autism in Pink | Amy Poehler's Smart Girls". Amy Poehler's Smart Girls. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
11. "Jennifer Cook O'Toole Archives – Autism Asperger's Digest". Autism Asperger's Digest. Archived from the original on July 2, 2013. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
12. "Cover Story: Congratulations You Have Autism". Zoom (Spring): 33. 2015. Archived from the original on October 31, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
13. "Our Experts". Aukids magazine. Archived from the original on October 31, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
14. "Talking #AutismInHeels and Adult Diagnoses on Fox29, Philadelphia". WTXF-TV. Retrieved April 12, 2019.^[dead link]
15. "How Asperkids helps kids with aspergers". WCNC NBC Charlotte. Retrieved October 31, 2015.^[dead link]
16. Hallmark, Gi (April 10, 2014). "A Chat with Asperkids™ Author Jennifer Cook O'Toole". The Children's Book Review. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
17. "Parenting and Teaching Children with Autism". Library Journal. Archived from the original on September 11, 2015. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
18. "JENNIFER O'TOOLE". Speaking of Difference. Archived from the original on October 21, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
19. "Jennifer Lynn Cook weds John Christopher O'Toole". newjerseyhills.com. December 13, 2001. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
20. "Adulting on the Spectrum: Love on the Spectrum" (PDF). autismspeaks.org. August 21, 2022. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
21. Cook O'Toole, Jennifer. Autism in Heels: The Untold Story of a Female Life on the Spectrum. Skyhorse Publishers.
22. "The Asperkid's Secret Book of Social Rules: The Handbook of Not-So-Obvious Social Guidelines for Tweens and Teen with Asperger Syndrome (review)". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
23. "The Asperkid's launch pad; home design to empower everyday superheroes. (review)". Reference and Research Book News. 28 (4). 2013. ProQuest 1416243452.
24. "The Asperkid's Launch Pad: Homes That Empower Everyday Superheroes (review)". Library Journal. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
25. Rankowski, Brigid. "Let's hear it for the girls: Asperkids' new book". Autism Daily Newscast. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
26. "Speaking Geek: Translating Typical for the Human Spectrum". Asperkids. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
27. "Best Books List". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
28. Smith, Candace (July 1, 2018). Autism in heels: the untold story of a female life on the spectrum, Reviews. Retrieved November 4, 2019 – via Santa Fe Library.
29. Scott, Kate (December 19, 2017). "24 Amazing New Feminist Books Coming in 2018". BOOK RIOT. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
30. "Autism Society of America". Autism Society of America. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
31. "South Charlotte resident releases sixth book on Asperger's syndrome". South Charlotte Weekly. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
32. "Amazing Autistic Women – Special Edition of ASDigest". Autism Daily Newscast. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
33. Joss, Laurel (May 26, 2014). "Inspiring Women with Autism: Jennifer Cook O'Toole". Autism Daily Newscast. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
34. "Salads, Spreadsheets & the Spectrum: The Fight that Has Nothing to Do with Food – Jennifer O'Toole". Spectrum Women. May 7, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
35. Snell, Greta (January 15, 2014). "Leading Woman". The Kappa Alpha Theta Magazine. Vol. 128, no. 2 (Winter 2013–2014). p. 27. Retrieved March 30, 2018.

External links

• Author website
• Asperkids channel on YouTube
• Instagram