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The Invisible Life of the Unidentified Autistic Girl
Autism in Heels by Jennifer Cook O’Toole Book Review
This year I want to read more books about the autistic experience. I’ve only read a handful so far, but thanks to Hoopla, Libby, and my local library I can actually check some more books off my masterlist of recommendations.
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For January, I read Autism in Heels. It was one of the first books I sought to buy and read, but despite Indigo saying they had a copy in stock, it was not where it was supposed to be in store and I had to leave without it. The upside is, I am glad I didn’t find the book that day when I was so newly diagnosed. I think I read Autism in Heels at just the right time in my life when I could process the contents already equipped with 4(ish) years of an understanding of myself and autism.
So, what’s this book actually about…?
Summary
Autism in Heels, an intimate memoir, reveals the woman inside one of autism’s most prominent figures, Jennifer O’Toole. At the age of thirty-five, Jennifer was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, and for the first time in her life, things made sense. Now, Jennifer exposes the constant struggle between a carefully crafted persona and authentic existence, editing the autism script with wit, candor, passion, and power. Her journey is one of reverse self-discovery not only as an Aspie but–more importantly–as a thoroughly modern woman.
Whether it’s bad perms or body image, sexuality or self-esteem, Jennifer’s is as much a human journey as one on the spectrum. Because autism “looks a bit different in pink,” most girls and women who fit the profile are not identified, facing years of avoidable anxiety, eating disorders, volatile relationships, self-harm, and stunted independence. Jennifer has been there, too. Autism in Heels takes that message to the mainstream. (The StoryGraph)
