What do YOU need to unlearn to be a better self advocate, or ally to the people in your life?
Most talks are there to help you learn and get you thinking. My goal, however, is to help you unlearn and get you rethinking. That’s right – my talks are there to address any preconceptions you may have had about political hot topics such as neurodivergence, LGBT+ issues, intersectionality and diversity. So if you are not prepared to deconstruct anything society may have taught you about what it means to be in a marginalised community…then I’m not your speaker. HOWEVER…if you are looking to broaden your perspective and are willing to put up with my sarcastic jibes at systemic barriers, neurotypical shortcomings and my own mishaps…then please email me at grace@overdale.me or grace.liu@btinternet.com and strap yourself in!
For an official event, my fee is £100 per hour*, plus travel/accommodation expenses. If you are looking to hire me again, however, you are entitled to 20% off the original price. So what are you waiting for? Drop me an email and I will let you know my upcoming availability!
*Please note: price may differ if I am speaking on behalf of an organisation.
ONE-TO-ONE CALLS
But what if you are just one person wanting to know more about autism from someone with lived experience? If you are simply looking to learn more either about your own identity or an autistic loved one, then why not get in touch with me so we can arrange a FREE 30 minute call, either by phone or by Zoom? If this sounds like something that would be helpful to you, then I would be very happy for you to contact me via any of the below methods:
Email: grace@overdale.me
Facebook: Unwritten Grace – autism and writing
LinkedIn: Grace Liu
Testimonials
“[We] really enjoyed [Grace’s] talk and gained a lot of insights from it – it was so informative but also very accessible for people like me who have not met many autistic people”
“[Grace’s] talk was very informative. Everyone got a lot out of it!”
“[Grace] is a great speaker and the knowledge shared will be very useful to reflect on our interventions with autistic customers.“
Autism through the stages: an informal look at autism through different stages of life
On Monday 10th March 2025, I had the honour of delivering a 2.5 hour talk online for a group of Masters students at Birkbeck university in London. I talked about autism through different stages of life, including my own experiences, and included scheduled breaks and discussions. Thank you to the staff at Birkbeck university for giving me this opportunity. Another public speaking experience to add to the list!
Neurodivergent & LGBTQIA+: The ‘Double Rainbow’ Intersection
On Wednesday 20th March 2024, I was part of a panel speaking online about the “Double Rainbow” intersection between neurodivergence and the LGBTQ+ umbrella, chaired by Charlie Hart, aka Ausome Charlie. We answered questions surrounding the challenges of being in more than one marginalised category, and discussed what the rest of the world can do to create a more inclusive society. I’m told the audience number was well into the hundreds, with some very enthusiastic questions and comments in the comments section! All in all, another successful event, and I would like to say a huge thank you to Charlie for inviting me to be a part of it.
Health and Wellbeing at Work
On Tuesday 12th March 2024, I had the honour of speaking at the Health & Wellbeing at Work conference at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre! I answered a series of questions on how to make the workplace more autism friendly, something that seriously needs addressing. My session got a lot of laughs, compliments and further questions, and all copies of my book that I had brought with me were sold out within minutes. The event as a whole was also a valuable networking opportunity, and I got talking to many likeminded people as I was browsing the stalls. I am very thankful to the people who made this event happen, and I can’t wait to do it again!
“Meet the Author” with Grace Liu
On Wednesday 28th September 2022 at 7:00pm, I did an online talk for a “Meet the Author” event based in East Renfrewshire. I spoke for about an hour about being autistic with intersecting marginalised identities and how my experiences inspired my book. The talk included some insightful pointers at the end for autistic and non-autistic listeners, and plenty of embarrassing anecdotes too for a good laugh! After the main talk, there were 20-30 minutes to ask questions afterwards. All in all, the talk was a success and I am hugely thankful for this opportunity!
One-to-One-Enfield online autism conference
On Monday 13th June 2022 at 2pm, I did a live talk on Zoom for One-to-One, an autism charity in Enfield. This was part of an online conference focusing on the lived experiences of autistic women and LGBT+ people. I shared my story about growing up biracial, autistic and a lesbian. To find out more, please visit http://www.one-to-one-enfield.co.uk/spectrum or contact mail@one-to-one-enfield.co.uk.
University of Sheffield Autism Awareness Event
On Tuesday 29th March 2022, I had the honour of doing a talk about autism at work and university at the University of Sheffield. Having spent all month preparing for it, I was very nervous, but the people arranging the event were very helpful and friendly, and even took me on a trip to Wetherspoons once it was all over! The event opened at 5pm, and I gave out my business cards, plus 20 signed copies of my book, as people came in. I started with an introduction on what life can be like for an autistic person, did two main sections on university and work, and talked about what to be aware of in Autism “Awareness” Month as a conclusion. I got quite a few laughs at various points, and I like to think I included plenty of food for thought as well. The audience were very enthusiastic and asked me a lot of great questions at the end! I was pretty tired once it was all over, but it was well worth it.
Click here for the University of Sheffield Diversity Champions Facebook page.
Artistic Autistic Grace 