Zoom Autism Magazine Issue 3 Spring 2015 | Page 35
ZOOM: Tell us, WHO is Jennifer Cook O’Toole?
JENNIFER: I am a work in progress. We all are
works in progress.
ZOOM: You are kind of known for your red hair.
You have often said that autism is like having red
hair. What do you mean by that?
JENNIFER I do say all the time that autism is like
having red hair. It’s a little unexpected and just
makes you stand out. I did not ask for red hair;
it is just how I showed up into this world. But I
learned to just kind of go with it, and when I did,
my red hair began to work for me, not against.
I did musical theater when I was younger, and
people might not have remembered my name
when they saw me in a show, but they would
remember that girl with red hair. I stood out. I
believe much more than a blonde or brunette,
when you have red hair, it becomes part of your
identity. But there is also a flip side. I can get a
sunburn through a window! It has happened
danced for 20 years, sang for 15 and played the
violin for 12! Or here is a fun bit about me. You
know how Temple Grandin says that she thinks
in pictures? Well, I think in words. I see the actual
text. It is a concrete representation of the general
concept to me. For example, if you say BLUE, I
don’t see the color in my mind; I see the actual
letters B-L-U-E.
Ever seen the incredible PBS Kids TV show
WordWorld? It is genius. It’s a preschool show
in which words come alive, and it stars animals
whose bodies are made up of the letters that spell
the words they are. One of the main characters
is DUCK. Duck is, well, a duck! Yellow, with a
beak, web feet, but his body is made up of the letters D-U-C-K. The show is brilliant! That is how I
think.
My dad was a litigator, debating the meaning of
every word, and I think I got my love of words
from him. I know I did. I absolutely LOVE grammar. I even have a framed picture of a sentence
Autism is like having
red hair. It’s a little
unexpected and just
makes you stand out
.
before, and I am sure it will happen again!
The point is that there comes a time when you
have to make a choice. Am I going to accept the
fact that I have red hair or not?
ZOOM: Tell us something no one else knows
about you!
diagram hanging on my wall. I mean, who does
that? ME, that’s who!
To me, grammar, diagramming sentences, parts
of speech, and etymology are all like unraveling a
melody and seeing the staff and all the notes that
make it up. That is what I do. I unravel big concepts and break them up into smaller parts.
JENNIFER: Hmmm ... how about the fact that I
Zoom Autism Through Many Lenses
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