Haley Moss

Assembly Required

Autism does not come with an instruction manual, but it does come with lots of magical parts and important tools to utilize to build the best life possible. Assembly Required is the story of Haley Moss: an autistic attorney who has gone from a nonverbal child diagnosed with autism at age 3, to an author, artist, attorney, and autism advocate.

Audience takeaways:

• This keynote explores Haley’s journey, the assembly of her village, finding her written and spoken voice, and looking to the future full of hope for autism’s next generation
• What the future, and excitement holds as Haley writes the next, ongoing chapter in her life as a practicing lawyer.

The Language of Disability and The Inclusion Revolution

Stereotypes, stigmas, and notions of ableism make disability a sensitive topic to discuss. Nuances in the language surrounding disabilities make the discussion even more difficult for non-disabled friends, colleagues, and community members to join.

Too often, those best equipped to teach the language of disability — people with disabilities themselves — are silenced and unheard, rather than empowered to lead the conversation on disability inclusion in society.

Audience takeaways:

• As part of this session, the audience is invited to join the ‘Inclusion Revolution’ to build a bridge between people with and without disabilities by facilitating effective, real conversation in a meaningful and productive way.
• Attendees will enjoy a candid, no fluff conversation about disability in the workplace from the personal perspectives.

Neurodiversity in the Workplace

Adults on the autism spectrum face the highest unemployment rate amongst all people with disabilities. Having autism on the job has unique strengths and challenges from the application process through the daily routine of having a job.

Audience takeaways:

• This session aims to provide context about neurodiversity, and the nuances surrounding and supporting neurodiversity at work, including why businesses should be hiring people on the spectrum, issues surrounding disclosure of a diagnosis, and ensuring a workplace is accessible.
• The session will also incorporate personal perspective as Haley is an openly autistic attorney.

Self-Advocacy: Yes, No, and Effecting Change in Between

Often when we think of advocacy, we think of effecting policy change or work that our lawmakers do. However, self-advocacy for people on the autism spectrum is an entirely different ballgame and covers a lot of ground – it can be effective communication in personal, educational, and professional settings.

It could be as simple as saying yes or no, or as complicated as standing up for your rights, or creating change. Furthermore, advocacy skills can be used to create positive change for autistic individuals, their families, friends, allies, and their communities.

Audience takeaways:

• Busting advocacy myths, encourage self-advocacy, teach self-advocacy skills and strategies.
• Informing all communities about larger goals and issues being tackled that self-advocacy skills could be valuably applied to.

Not a Boy’s Club: Supporting and Empowering Autistic Girls and Women

While autism is diagnosed in 1 in 59 children, oftentimes we think of autism as being diagnosed in boys only. However, this is not the case. Girls and women on the autism spectrum exist ad are diagnosed less frequently than their male counterparts. Girls and women are often misdiagnosed, diagnosed later in life, or are self-diagnosed.

Audience takeaways:

• This session explores unique traits to recognize in autistic girls and women in order to help close the diagnostic disparity.
• Issues unique to autistic girls and women throughout the lifespan, including but not limited to adolescence, sexual abuse and violence, and parenting while autistic.
• Addressing key provisions in order to empower and support autistic girls and women.