One of the things that most self-advocates and other people can't seem to agree on is on autism and whether it's okay to use functioning labels.

Autism often comes with invisible disabilities which one cannot see along with being looked at on the medical model. Because of that, many caregivers and professionals don't know what to do with someone who has such a situation. Autism can also come with challenging behaviors such as violence which can result from frustration and impulsiveness.  Yet, one has to wonder if one can hit, then they are capable of doing a lot more things that are productive.

One of things that comes with people who have any sort of disability are small-minded people who seem to be stuck on the disability.  However, those are people to avoid because they are negative and toxic.  Even more, you have a choice

While many people on the spectrum have proven to be independent,  there are those on the spectrum who will never reach that full potential.  However, there are ways that parents and guardians can help empower their loved ones to feel more independent.   From learning to shop for groceries to getting into the community,  empowering a person is a way to go. 

If you would like to be a guest on the show, I am calling for proposals, so please click here. 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc67rRwxwPh2G7cOu_Ro58N3d6ip7jA-BKy9E1QrtSW7mgcFA/viewform?usp=sf_link 

Note: You don't have to be on the spectrum to be a guest but you do need a topic of expertise that people can take away from.  

I was also just on Autism Live, promoting my podcast and I hope Shannon will be on my show because she is great. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkqSNfeJLPM&t=4s

With Georgia slowly opening back up after a few months of lockdown due to COVID-19,  programs have closed or have been put on hiatus. In this case, Delta Airlines, "Taking Flight" program is currently on hiatus due to a majority of staff taking furlough. That being said, I recently paid a visit to Hartsfield Jackson International Airport.   Despite its title of being the "Busiest airport in the world," it has not lived up to that name.  If there was no virus, the temporary setting would be a good setting for tours.

Still, that's unrealistic. The security measures will be even more stressful for people on the spectrum trying to get from point A to point B. 

 

Other announcements:

1. If you have a topic of expertise related to autism, I am calling for proposals and you don't necessarily have to be a spectrumite or Temple Grandin to be interviewed.  Rather, you

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc67rRwxwPh2G7cOu_Ro58N3d6ip7jA-BKy9E1QrtSW7mgcFA/viewform?usp=sf_link

2. I was also recently on Autism Live this week promoting my podcasts with Shannon Penrod,so have a look

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkqSNfeJLPM&t=4s

Once again, one of the common things that come with autism is discouragement being that autism is looked at as a disability.  Yet, people tend to forget that individuals are people too and can be just as able-bodied as everyone else.    However, here are my tips for you discouragers out there.

With 90% of individuals on the spectrum being under or unemployed,  a chunk of them ends up in work programs or with supportive employment.  What is more, is that these kinds of people don't care.  To them, putting disabled people to work is a numbers game so they can pat themselves on the back and support their own needs.

Here to talk to us about employment is Haley Moss, Florida's first openly autistic attorney who will later be our keynote on our all women's panel. 

 Haley Moss was diagnosed with autism at age 3 and made international headlines for becoming the first documented openly autistic attorney admitted to The Florida Bar. She received her Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law in 2018 and graduated from the University of Florida in 2015 with Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Criminology. Following her admission to the Bar, Haley became aware that less than 1% of lawyers reported having a disability. When she was an associate attorney practicing in healthcare and international law, Haley realized her impact in the field of inclusion as a sought-out public speaker across the nation. To help revolutionize the practice of law, Haley founded her own company to lead the charge of working with businesses and law firms to hire and retain autistic and neurodiverse talent. Haley is the author of “Middle School: The Stuff Nobody Tells You About” and “A Freshman Survival Guide for College Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Stuff Nobody Tells You About.” She also illustrated and contributed to the anthology “What Every Autistic Girl Wishes Her Parents Knew.” Her writing about autism, neurodiversity, and disability has appeared in publications such as The Washington Post, ABA Journal, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, FastCompany, and more. Haley also co-hosts the Spectrum Speaking podcast, which is dedicated to women on the autism spectrum. In addition, she has forthcoming legal scholarship on lawyers with disabilities, and disability’s intersection with standardized testing, as well as on crimes against disabled children. Haley has been featured in major media such as the TODAY Show, Forbes, CNN, USA Today, Yahoo!, and People, to name a few. She currently serves on the constituency board for the University of Miami – Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities and the Board of Directors for Different Brains, is the Chair of the Unicorn Children’s Foundation Junior Board and is a co-chair of the Miami-Dade Chapter of Florida Association for Women Lawyers diversity committee.

Like any group, people on the spectrum face stereotypes from mental illness to savant level genius thinking.   Yet, there is more to it than that.

You heard from Kayla Rodriguez, Ashley Dudley, Stephanie Holmes, and even Temple.  This time, you will hear from Florida's openly autistic attorney talk about autism, neurodiversity, and employment.