Liane Holliday Willey is an inspirational and motivational speaker who helps her audience truly understand the importance of accepting people with differences. All of her life, Liane knew she was different, but only after one of her family members was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, a very high functioning form of autism, did Liane realize the reason behind her differences; she too was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. With the odds firmly stacked against her, Liane rose to the challenge of life as it comes to you through the broken glass of autism, to a place where she is happy, healthy and well balanced. Today, Liane is a successful writer, editor, consultant, motivational speaker, freelance author, mother and wife.
Liane is the author of the international best selling books Pretending to be Normal: Living with Aspergers Syndrome, forward by Tony Attwood (Jessica Kingsley Publisher), Asperger Syndrome in Adolescence Living with the Ups, the Downs and Things in Between forward by Luke Jackson, (Jessica Kingsley Publisher) and Asperger Syndrome in the Family: Redefining Normal forward by Pam Tanquay (Jessica Kingsley Publisher). In addition, Liane has contributed to many other books and journals. She is also theSenior Editor of the magajournal Autism Spectrum Quarterly, published by Starfish Specialty Press.
The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Kansas City Star, The Oregon Register-Guard, The Toronto Star, The Grand Rapids Press, and many other major newspapers have featured Liane and her work. In addition, she has been the featured guest on several national and international radio shows including the award winning series The Infinite Mind, the prestigious BBC-Radio 4, Autism OneRadio, Spectrum Radio, WGVU, Lifetime, and dozens of local and regional talk radio shows. Liane's life story is the inspiration of two documentary films currently in production, as well as the focus of the video Asperger Syndrome: Crossing the Bridge with Tony Attwood.
Liane is a board member of GRASP (Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership), the College Internship Program at the Brevard Center and a founding board member of the Michigan Asperger Association.
In her spare time, Liane writes fiction, consults with those who are interested in building more effective communication paradigms,volunteers with the American Cancer Society, studies social and psycholinguistics and plays with her children and dogs!
Liane has heard it said that she is unusual for one with Asperger syndrome and she is dedicated to making sure her successes are not exceptionsto the rule for those with AS, but rather, the norm.
