Heather Cook

Can We Talk About the T Word?

There’s a topic I’ve been avoiding. It’s not easy or comfortable to talk about, but I’m increasingly convinced that it is necessary. Will you join me in this difficult, and deeply rewarding, conversation?

Kitten sleeping on its back with paws raised above head.

Try This Secret for Falling Asleep Faster

I’ve had difficulty falling asleep almost my entire life. Turns out that is common for autistic individuals. Lots of sleep tips are great. Here’s one you might not have heard.

A blue ball, a few wooden blocks, a piece of rubber, string, and a folded piece of rough fabric, lying on gray carpet.

Sensory Toys Can Be Anything

With more and more sensory specific products on the market, it can feel like you have to shell out money for sensory regulation. Don’t forget what you already have handy.

Close-up on a notebook, with a pencil to the side. There's an alarm clock and a cup of pencils above it.

A Few Thoughts on Labels

There’s a lot of controversy around labels. Some people love them, some hate them. I’m somewhere in the middle.

Person sitting at a table in a restaurant, drinking from a glass with orange liquid in it.

This is Why Honesty Really is the Best Policy

We are socialized not to complain, but sometimes that means not telling people what we need. I have been getting better at saying what I need, and finding out that people can help.

A fossil of a long dinosaur, in brown rocks. There's a museum label to the side saying Coelophysis.

A Dentist and A Dinosaur

A recent trip to the dentist was both a harrowing experience and a moment of acceptance.

Person sitting at a desk with an open book. They are putting two pencils to their head and looking at the person in front of them.

Why Trying Harder Backfires

After trying a range of activities to see how each made your body feel, did you notice anything unexpected? Did some that you associate with relaxing not actually have that relaxing effect? Here’s why.

Person in a grey shirt, sitting on a grey couch, staring forward.

A Challenging Behavior Vanishes

I have long maintained that behavior is a symptom. A recent revelation in my own life led to my own challenging behavior instantly vanishing, once I got to the root of the issue.

Child laying on the floor in front of a load of Lego pieces scattered about. The child is staring at the camera.

Recognizing Stress is Complicated When You Can’t Tell What Your Body Feels

How do you figure out where your kid’s stress is coming from, when they aren’t even sure of what they are feeling?

Child, with long blond hair, jumping in a pink and blue themed bedroom.

Stimming and Autistic Stress

Stimming is both a physical expression of stress—either bad stress or good stress—and it’s a way to help us calm down.

An adult and a child sitting in wooden chairs and looking at a orange post-it note they are both holding.

The Worst Testimonial I’ve Ever Read

We want to raise kids to be independent, but when they’re fighting you at every turn, it’s so easy to succumb to the seduction of a child who’ll just do what you tell them.