Ep 172: Managing Neurodivergence and Autism as a Lawyer with Haley Moss
We have the absolute pleasure of chatting with Haley Moss, who's not just an attorney but also a powerhouse public speaker, author, and advocate for people with neurodiversity. Haley opens up about her autism diagnosis at age three and her journey through law school, sharing candidly about her challenges and victories. Be sure to check out her book "Great Minds Think Differently: Neurodiversity for Lawyers and Other Professionals" for more insight.
Meet Haley Moss
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Haley Moss was diagnosed with autism when she was 3 years old. Today, she is an attorney, author, advocate, artist and consultant who is passionate about disability inclusion and neurodiversity. She uses that passion to help our world be more inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities. Her personal and professional experiences allow her to bring unique insight and perspective across different professions and settings.
Episode Highlights
Haley Moss discuses her journey from being diagnosed with autism at age three in the 1990s, a time with limited understanding and awareness of autism compared to today.
Haley shares how she went through law school without formal accommodations, and had to do self-accommodations.
She emphasized the importance of self-advocacy and discussed the barriers she faced in obtaining accommodations for standardized tests like the LSAT and the bar exam.
Haley goes over the misconceptions about neurodiversity and the importance of recognizing diverse learning styles and abilities.
She talks about the concept of neurodivergent masking and the toll it takes on individuals trying to fit into societal norms.
Haley encourages authenticity and self-acceptance, emphasizing that everyone’s journey is unique and that it’s okay not to have all the answers or fit societal expectations perfectly.
Tweetable Quotes
“I always describe myself as an attorney by trade and an educator by choice because I love getting to teach people about neurodiversity and autism and doing our part to make things in our society and professional culture especially be more accepting and inclusive of not just autistic people but all neurodivergent and disabled individuals.”