Jennifer Cook

Jennifer Lynn Cook (formerly '''Cook O'Toole'''; born October 24, 1975) is an American author and speaker. 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'', is a ''Wall Street Journal'' Bestseller, a "Best Book" title winner by ''Publishers Weekly'', and named a "Best Memoir" and one of both the "Best Autism Books of All Time" and "Best-Selling Autism Books of All Time" by BookAuthority. 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. In 2019, she became the inaugural Senior Directorial Consultant for the Jefferson Health Center for Autism and Neurodiversity in Philadelphia, 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. 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'' 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'', 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''. Cook sits on the Autism Society of America's Council of Autistic Advisors, is a columnist/expert panelist for Amy Poehler's Smart Girls, Autism Asperger's Digest, ''Zoom Autism'' magazine, ''AuKids'' magazine, ''Special'' magazine and the Journal for the North American Montessori Teachers' Association NAMTA, and is a commentator on NPR's ''WHYY'' and ''WFAE'', as well as Fox's WTXF-TV and NBC's ''Charlotte Today''. Provided by Wikipedia