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. 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 and the future, and excitement as she writes the next, ongoing chapter in her life as a practicing lawyer.

No two brains are the same. An estimated 1 in 7 people are neurodivergent, including those with autism, ADHD, mental health disabilities, learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities or acquired brain differences. Given this prevalence, why are conversations around neurodiversity nonetheless so difficult, especially in the context of broader discussions about disabilities? In this session, Haley will unpack the nuances of navigating disclosure, advocating for ourselves and others, and building accessibility into our understanding of “inclusion.” Come prepared for lightbulb moments, and leave feeling more empowered to tackle stigma.

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. 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 from the personal perspective.

Neurodiversity gets a lot of attention as a potential competitive advantage for business, but it is a lot broader than we think. Understanding our friends, colleagues, and others who may have mental health challenges, intellectual disabilities, acquired brain differences, learning disabilities, or something else like autism or ADHD is part of being human. This conversation will cover the foundations of neurodiversity, as well as allyship and advocacy at home and at work, including through the lens of Haley’s own experiences. This conversation aims to provide strategies and ideas for being a strong advocate and ally to neurodivergent people as well as advice for those who discover that they may be neurodivergent.

While autism is diagnosed in 1 in 44 children, oftentimes we think of autism as being diagnosed in boys only. However, this is not the case. Girls, women, nonbinary, and other gender diverse individuals on the autism spectrum exist and are diagnosed less frequently than their cisgender male counterparts. Gender diverse people are often misdiagnosed, diagnosed later in life, or are self-diagnosed. This session explores traits to recognize in high-camouflaging autistic people in order to help close the diagnostic disparity. Further, the session will talk about issues unique to autistic girls and women throughout the lifespan, including but not limited to adolescence, sexual abuse and violence, and parenting while autistic. Finally, this session will address key provisions in order to empower and support these autistic individuals.

For neurodivergent and disabled people, our personal stories hold a lot of power – they are sources of strength, tales of overcoming barriers and adversity, and a way we are able to assert agency and receive the support we might need. Our identities also carry weight and different meanings to others. How do you tell teachers, support staff, colleagues, friends, or anybody else about your disability and account for their varied reactions? Or, how do you tell the person you’re supporting about their own disability identity and culture? Together, we can unpack the disclosure conversation and feel empowered to advocate for ourselves, view disability from a place of heritage and knowledge rather than shame, and be ready to take charge in your storytelling.

Imagine feeling like you have to suppress parts of who you are in order to avoid bullying, feel accepted, or avoid suspicion or dangerous situations - or put on a persona that smiles, nods, and 'acts' correctly at the right times constantly hoping not to be exposed as "weird" or an "imposter." That is what is at the heart of masking, which is a survival skill and coping mechanism that many autistic people develop, especially people who are multiply marginalized. In this session, Haley will unpack what masking is, why autistic people do it and how it can be harmful, and strategies for allies to help discover and empower our true neurodivergent selves.

Often when we think of advocacy, we think of policy change or work that our lawmakers do. However, advocating for ourselves (and sometimes others) 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 making change in the community. Furthermore, advocacy skills can be used to create positive change for individuals, their families, friends, allies, and their communities - and reach that level of sharing stories, activism, and creating social change. This session aims to bust advocacy myths, encourage self-advocacy, explore self-advocacy skills and strategies and unite communities.