A woman with autism was admitted to the Florida Bar and became "the first openly autistic lawyer," says one employer

Haley Moss was only 3 years old when she was diagnosed with autism. As a toddler, Moss could do 100-piece puzzles and read, but she did not speak. After realizing that she was gifted but nonverbal, Moss's parents took her to the doctor, where they discovered that she was suffering from autism.

At the age of 4, the girl from South Florida started talking and quickly switched from special education classes to what ordinary classes are. Her goal has always been to prove that her abilities were far superior to her disability.

"I first told my story at a conference at the age of 13," said Moss, now 24, at CBS News. "I've always loved being able to communicate and share."

She wrote her first book, entitled "College – All that no one tells you: a teenager with a TSA shares her experience," while she was only 15 years old. In the last ten years, she has written another book and contributed to a book of essays. Moss has also held several lectures and has created countless works of art.

She said that advocacy for people with autism has always been important to her. "I've always been raised to give back and help people in need and help the community," she said. "It takes a village to raise a child, and an even bigger village to raise a handicapped child … I realized by telling my story that I could be part of the village of somebody." ;other."

After earning her BA from the University of Florida, Moss decided to continue her studies – and her advocacy activities – and she enrolled at the University of Miami's Faculty of Law.

"I wanted to go to law school because I wanted to make a difference for others," she said. "Lawyers help their community, what better way [to make a difference] to become a lawyer ".

In May 2018, Moss graduated from the Faculty of Law at the University of Miami and had the honor of speaking at the opening ceremony. Before she graduated, she had an offer of employment waiting for her bar exam. She did it – and in January she was admitted to the Florida Bar. She and her employer think she's the first person openly autistic to do it.

Moss now practices law with a focus on health care and international issues. She plans to continue writing and creating works of art while being a lawyer. His goal is to inspire others by his success.

Moss says that if she makes the difference in the life of only one person, her plea is worth it. "It is one of the spectrum person who says" Thank you for telling your story "or a parent of a newly diagnosed child who tells me : "Wow, you've given me so much hope for my child. I can not wait to see what my child will be able to do when he gets older. Yes, it's really an impact. "