Posted on October 3, 2026
Another photo challenge! I didn’t have a particular goal in mind for this one, just the day to day documenting of the month, which I’d always known was going to be a busy one. That plan kind of went sideways halfway through but I liked what I’d included so far so I decided to continue the post anyway. September was busy and inspiring and exhausting and frustrating and exciting and unimaginable and as the month drew to a close, I felt that that was more than enough of a reason to document and share it.
1. IN THE MIRROR – I’ve been wearing my makeup the same way for so long now: concealer, eyeliner, mascara, and sometimes a bit of highlighter. And some eyebrow tint very, very occasionally. It’s quick (unless the eyeliner refuses to cooperate) and relatively easy to do but I’m so short-sighted that I have to be SO CLOSE to the mirror; my nose practically touches the glass and I’ve knocked various products against the mirror more times than I can count. I’ve started needing to take an actual mirror with me if I ever have to stay at a hotel because, guaranteed, they’re always above a sink or desk and I CAN’T SEE THAT FAR.


2. AT THE TABLE – Having committed to a thirty day music production challenge – where I had to make something everyday throughout September – I spent a lot of time at my desk, working at my laptop with my recording gear. Now that I have a good, supportive desk chair, working at my desk is easier than it used to be but I still struggle with executive function of transitioning from one task to another, especially if it’s in a different room – so I’m often stuck at my desk or stuck on the sofa. ADHD is incredibly frustrating.
Read MoreCategory: about me, adhd, animals, autism, autism dog, emotions, event, favourites, food, heds, medication, music, sleep, special interests, therapy Tagged: accommodation, adhd, asd, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, autism assistance dog, autism spectrum disorder, autistic artist, bullet journal, chronic illness, dog, fidget toy, illness, inattentive adhd, independent artist, makeup, making music, medication, music production, neurographic drawing, noise cancelling headphones, planner, pomchi, production, sensory seeking, sensory sensitivities, sensory sensitivity, stimming
Posted on August 15, 2026
By some serendipitous coincidence, I was booked in to get tattooed during Assistance Dog Week (3rd – 9th August) and my tattoo artist, Vivi, was super keen to meet Daisy since, due to a peak in the heatwave, I hadn’t been able to bring her to my first session with her. So, during our Assistance Dog Week session, we both made videos about the session and about having an Autism Assistance Dog in the studio as a way of helping to normalise the presence of assistance dogs.


Category: activism, animals, autism, autism dog, favourites, music, quotes, special interests, video Tagged: asd, assistance dog, assistance dog handler, assistance dog week, autism, autism assistance dog, autism assistance dogs, autism dogs, autism spectrum disorder, autistic adult, erin lecount tattoo, fineline tattoo, london, lyric tattoo, neurodivergent, nothingsrs, quote tattoo, script tattoo, tattoo, tattoo artist, tattoo studio
Posted on June 20, 2026
TW: mention of pet loss and grief, mentions of meltdowns and harmful stimming. No descriptions. Some discussion of people responding disrespectfully to Daisy while working but nothing upsetting, just ignorant.
As of the end of April, my Autism Assistance Dog, Daisy, has been fully qualified for a whole year and in that time, she’s been a huge help to me both inside and outside the house. I’d hoped to have this post written and up by the actual anniversary but then my youngest cat, Sooty, had to be rushed to the vet and put to sleep very suddenly, which left me in a complete spiral. I ended up in the worst depression pit I’ve experienced in years and it took me a while to climb out of it and even longer to get my life sorted out enough to sit down and write this. So here we finally are…
Daisy moved into our home at the beginning of March 2025 and was fully qualified two months later at the end of April. But of course, the learning – for both of us – didn’t stop there and I wanted to use the first anniversary of her qualifying as an assistance dog to write about what this first year has been like, how much we’ve learned, and how much we’ve grown as a partnership. I did post a video on the year anniversary of her moving in that I will share here too, at the end of this point, if for no other reason than because she’s really, really cute.


Category: animals, anxiety, autism, autism dog, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, death, emotions, exercise, family, heds, hydrotherapy, medication, meltdowns, mental health, pots, sleep, therapy, video Tagged: actuallyautistic, advanced tasks, assistance dog, autism, autism acceptance, autism assistance dog, autism awareness, autism dog, autism dogs, autism dogs charity, autism dogs cic, autism spectrum disorder, autistic, autistic adult, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, public access, service dog

Hi! I’m Lauren Alex Hooper. Welcome to my little blog! I write about living with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, OCD, CPTSD, depression, and anxiety, as well as other health issues including hEDS and POTS.
I’m an alt-pop singer-songwriter (it’s my biggest special interest and I have both a BA and MA in songwriting) and my most recent EP, Too Much And Not Enough, Vol. 1, is available on all music platforms and is the first in the series of works based on my experiences as an autistic person.
Finding Hope