Neurodivergent Leaders

Haley Moss

An attorney | An author | An artist | An advocate

Leader on disability inclusion, autism and neurodiversity in the workplace, employment policy, accessibility, and lawyers with disabilities | Keynote speaker

“…I speak, share, and advocate to create change because I believe the world needs to be ready and accepting of all kinds of bodies and minds. The future begins now. The future is neurodiverse. The future is accessible. The future is people with disabilities. I’m ready. Are you? Read more...” - haleymoss.net

Keynote Speaking:

Topics Haley enjoys speaking about include (but are not limited to):

My life with autism – from nonverbal to a lawyer, Overcoming obstacles, The importance of neurodiversity, Accepting, Autism and Women, Autism in the Workplace, Autism in Education, Transition to Adulthood, Autism and Media Representation, Self-Advocacy

Rachel Worsley

Founder & CEO of Neurodiversity Media

Rachel started Neurodiversity Media in June 2019. As its CEO, she is responsible for business development, operations, sales, marketing and HR. She is also the chief contact for all sponsorships, editorial opportunities and advertising for the NeuroWork newsletter. Email her at: rachel[at]neurodiversitymedia.com. 

Neurodiversity Media was originally founded in June 2019 as a content marketing agency specialising in copywriting, content strategy and ghostwriting stories about neurodiversity, particularly in autism, ADHD and dyslexia. We have worked with clients in these communities to take those narratives outside of advocacy bubbles into the broader public consciousness.  

Will Wheeler

Director of thedyslexicevolution.com

As I am a person that is very ambitious and I love helping others to succeed, my main goal is to build the skills of future dyslexic leaders and entrepreneurs.

However, my life’s mission is to change how dyslexia is viewed and help people who struggle with learning difficulties become the future leaders in business and help them to flourish.

To me, being dyslexic has been the best gift my parents have ever given me.

For more information on how thedyslexicevolution.com can help, please contact us via the contact section of our website.

Connect with Will on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wheelerwill

Check out Will in the DAWNCast podcast -
DAWNCast (YouTube): Will Wheeler is the director and founder of The Dyslexic Evolution. He is a proud dyslexic professional who is working hard to change current workplace practices around dyslexic & neurodiverse professionals. In this episode of DAWNCast #podcast, Will explains Dyslexia and shares some of the challenges that people with Dyslexia have in the workplace. Will's goal is to help develop more dyslexic leaders and help them to grow and influence other dyslexic professionals. He has won a range of different awards in different parts of his career from the QTA young achiever award in 2010 and Dear Dyslexic leadership award in 2018.

John Marble

John Marble is the founder of Pivot and is a writer and speaker on innovation, autism, and neurodiversity. In 2009, he was appointed by President Obama to the United States Office of Personnel Management. There, his work focused on workforce development, innovation, and incorporating into government services the best practices and thinking of Silicon Valley.

In addition to his White House service, he has served as an advisor and aide to Secretary Hillary Clinton, Senator John Kerry, and Vice President Al Gore.

 John lives in San Francisco. He is autistic. 

Information from Pivot Neurodiversity

John Elder Robison

author | car restorer | photographer | researcher | advocate | scholar | board member

John Elder Robison is an autistic adult who writes books, restores cars, shoots photographs, teaches neurodiversity and works to shape autism research and treatment policy. He is particularly interested in improving quality of life for those people living with autism today – both autistic people and family members.

Back in the seventies, John was an engineer for Britannia Row – Pink Floyd’s sound company. Later on he created the iconic special effects guitars for KISS.  He’s the founder of Robison Service, a specialist in Land Rover, Rolls Royce and Bentley restoration. Today John is the Neurodiversity Scholar in Residence at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA.  John serves on the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee of the US Department of Health and Human Services, and he other boards for the US National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, and private organizations.  Finally, he’s the co-founder of a TCS Auto Program - high school for teens with developmental challenges in Springfield, MA.

John’s books Look Me in the Eye, Be Different, and Raising Cubby are the most widely read accounts of life with Asperger’s in the world. His books have been translated into more than fifteen languages, and they are sold in 60+ countries.  His newest book – Switched On – will be published in fall 2015. John has also authored or contributed to over 100 autism-related articles in the popular and professional press.

Information from John’s BLOG and Google Profile.

Sara Luterman

Freelance Journalist with a Passion for Neurodiversity- LinkedIn (2020)

Sara Luterman is the founder and editor of NOS magazine. You can find her work in The Guardian, Spectrum, and The Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism. - http://nosmag.org/contributors/

NOS Magazine is a news and commentary source for thought and analysis about neurodiversity culture and representation.

Dena Gassner

>>>”Dena is the 2009 winner of the Jo Andrews Award from Nashville’s Mayor’s Committee on Disability for outstanding disability advocacy. She has been featured in a PSA (no-myths.org) and an online video for the Dan Marino Foundation (AU-tube). She is a frequent contributor to Autism Brainstorm (autismbrainstorm.org). She recently completed two years as an itinerant faculty member for Health-Education Network traveling the nation, providing professional development training to teachers, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, behavioral consultants, families, individuals and others.”<<<

Read the full “About Dena” on her website: www.denagassner.com

Alexander Plank

Alex runs, owns, and develops WrongPlanet.net, a popular community for individuals with Asperger's Syndrome and Autism which they started as a teenager after being diagnosed at the age of 9. Alex graduated from George Mason University with a degree in Film and Video Studies.

Alex serves as the consultant to the lead actress & creators of FX's hit TV series The Bridge.

If you would like Alex Plank to speak at an upcoming conference or event, see the appearances page. If you have a business proposition, please contact Alex.

Alex's feature documentary film Shameful, shot in France along with Noah Trevino, is coming out soon.

Cynthia Kim

Cynthia Kim is the author of two books, "Nerdy, Shy and Socially Inappropriate: A User Guide to an Asperger Life" and "I Think I Might be Autistic: A Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis and Self-Discovery for Adults". She blogs about autism at musingsofanaspie.com.

"I'm most passionate about anything related to living a full, authentic life as an adult on the spectrum--especially in a way that contributes to better understanding ourselves, finding community and improving our quality of life."

Cynthia Kim is the proud owner of many labels including woman, wife, mother, writer, editor, entrepreneur and, most recently, autistic. Diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome in her early forties, she began blogging about life on the spectrum at MusingsofanAspie.com. She is the author of two books on her experiences, "Nerdy, Shy and Socially Inappropriate: A User Guide to an Asperger Life" and "I Think I Might Be Autistic: A Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis and Self-Discovery for Adults." When she isn't writing, she can often be found running or hiking backwoods trails somewhere on the east coast of the US.

-All Autism Talk

More information on Cynthia’s website

Stephen Shore

Diagnosed with "Atypical Development and strong autistic tendencies" and "too sick" for outpatient treatment . Shore was recommended for institutionalization. Nonverbal until four, and with much support from his parents, teachers, wife, and others, Stephen is now a professor at Adelphi University where his research focuses on matching best practice to the needs of people with autism.

In addition to working with children and talking about life on the autism spectrum, Stephen is internationally renowned for presentations, consultations and writings on lifespan issues pertinent to education, relationships, employment, advocacy, and disclosure. His most recent book College for Students with Disabilities combines personal stories and research for promoting success in higher education.

A current board member of Autism Speaks, president emeritus of the Asperger's Association of New England, and advisory board member of the Autism Society, Dr. Shore serves on the boards of the Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Association, The US Autism and Asperger Association, the Scientific Counsel of OAR, and other autism related organizations.

Information from Stephen’s website

Siena Castellon

https://www.qlmentoring.com/

My name is Siena. I am 16 and live in London. I am a math nerd and the proud owner of the cutest dog in the universe. I am also a passionate advocate for autism acceptance and neurodiversity in schools and the work place.

​I created this website because I want to mentor and support bright children with learning differences. I know how challenging it is to have a learning difference. I have Asperger’s, dyslexia, dyspraxia and AD(H)D (as well as anxiety, hypermobility, synesthesia and a sensory processing disorder).

​Being different and standing out from the crowd is isolating, especially when those around us can’t understand the daily struggles that we face. Although, there are lots of support websites for the parents of children with learning differences, there is no website to mentor and support us. I find this odd, since we are the ones that have to deal with the daily reality of having learning differences.

 I have had lots of negative experiences because of my learning differences, including being bullied at school for most of my childhood. Along the way, I have learned how to succeed despite the obstacles I have faced. I am finally happy and doing well academically and socially. By sharing my experiences and the knowledge I have gained along the way, I hope to help kids like me have a smoother school experience.

​In order to change negative perceptions about learning differences and autism, I have created a school campaign to promote positive attitudes and behaviours towards neurodiverse students. My campaign - www.neurodiversity.celebration.week.com - aims to have EVERY school in the UK sign up to participate in Neurodiversity Celebration Week, a week in which the strengths of being neurodiverse are recognised and acknowledged. Please become a change-maker by being part of my campaign. Ask your school to support their dyslexic, dyspraxic, autistic and ADHD students by taking part in Neurodiversity Celebration Week.

Positive Thinking And The Unstoppable Force Of Progress Towards Inclusion [Article | Forbes | Nov. 2019]

Temple Grandin

Dr. Grandin did not talk until she was three and a half years old.  She was fortunate to get early speech therapy.  Her teachers also taught her how to wait and take turns when playing board games.  She was mainstreamed into a normal kindergarten at age five.  Oliver Sacks wrote in the forward of Thinking in Pictures that her first book Emergence: Labeled Autistic was “unprecedented because there had never before been an inside narrative of autism.”  Dr. Sacks profiled Dr. Grandin in his best selling book Anthropologist on Mars.

Dr. Grandin became a prominent author and speaker on both autism and animal behavior.  Today she is a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University.  She also has a successful career consulting on both livestock handling equipment design and animal welfare.  She has been featured on NPR (National Public Radio) and a BBC Special – "The Woman Who Thinks Like a Cow". She has also appeared on National TV shows such as Larry King Live, 20/20, Sixty Minutes, Fox and Friends, and she has a 2010 TED talk.  Articles about Dr. Grandin have appeared in Time Magazine, New York Times, Discover Magazine, Forbes and USA Today. HBO made an Emmy Award winning movie about her life and she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2016.

When she was young, she was considered weird and teased and bullied in high school.  The only place she had friends was activities where there was a shared interest such as horses, electronics, or model rockets.  Mr. Carlock, her science teacher, was an important mentor who encouraged her interest in science.  When she had a new goal of becoming a scientist, she had a reason for studying.  Today half the cattle in the United States are handled in facilities she has designed.

Information from Temple Grandin’s website

Tyler McNamer 

Founder AutismWorks | author | motivational speaker

“Tyler McNamer is an author and motivational speaker. Although he was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2, he learned to overcome his challenges and embrace the unique perspective he could offer the world. It is this attitude that makes him a role model, particularly for those with autism or who may be perceived as being different. As Tyler puts it, I have been blessed with autism my entire life. I have chosen to accept my label of autism not as a disability, but as an extraordinary ability. Knowing that this viewpoint could help those who struggle with being different, Tyler decided to write a book to inspire others. At the age of 17, he published Population One: Autism, Adversity, and the Will to Succeed. This remarkable book details Tyler s life with autism while encouraging others to overcome their own challenges and accomplish their dreams…” - autismworks.com/about

Read more about Tyler at autismworks.com/about

Population One: Autism, Adversity and The Will to Succeed

Population ONE is a groundbreaking book that offers readers the ability to see life through the eyes of a young man with autism. This inspirational and engaging book will transform the way you view autism.