Don’t Pull Your Sister’s Hair: And Other Life Lessons Growing Up Neurodiverse

Don’t Pull Your Sister’s Hair is the story of Sam Flood Jr.—the boy who didn’t speak until he was five has become a man who wants to tell stories for a living.

Sam Flood was born on January 1, 1994, two weeks late. Walking and running at ten months, he didn’t speak until age five. “From the outset, Sam seemed to have his own idea for how life should be,” writes his father in the opening chapter, in which Sam pieces together his memories with stories told by his family to describe what it was like for Sam to express himself, from pulling his sister Eliza’s hair to wandering to Häagen-Dazs at age three.

Sam’s inability to speak concerned his parents, who consulted doctors to figure out what was wrong. One specialist said Sam would never graduate from high school, let alone go to college. Turning to writing, reading, and his own sense of humor to cope with constant bullying for his differences, Sam proved them wrong, earning a BA from Mitchell College in Connecticut.

Any family can find hope in Sam’s story. Anyone who feels different, misunderstood, bullied, or unfairly treated in life can find light in the way Sam charted his course. This is a story of neurodiversity, but it’s not just for people dealing with ADHD, autism, or any other diagnostic label, because everyone has unique ways of thinking, processing, and behaving. 

Don’t Pull Your Sister’s Hair is about the moments where neurodiversity creates opportunity. It’s the story of what’s possible.

Sam Flood Jr. plans to be a New York Times best-selling author of fantasy novels. Prior to his future fantasy accomplishment, he wants to tell his story of a boy who didn’t speak until he was five and learned language by typing on a keyboard. The written word became his escape, and he hopes it will become his career. Sam lives in Stamford, Connecticut, and one day expects to open his own bookstore.