Thomas has had many trials, tribulations and triumphs growing up with autism and is now sharing his stories of struggle and secrets to success to help bring out the real and true potential of young people and how our educational systems can help do so.
Thomas Iland (pronounced like “island”) was diagnosed with autism at 13 years old. Thomas left his career as a certified public accountant in 2015 to become an author, keynote speaker, diversity & inclusion consultant, and certified human potential coach.
Thomas is the author of the award-winning, best-selling book, “Come to Life! Your Guide to Self-Discovery” and recently became the only Toastmasters International Accredited Speaker with autism in the world.
Thomas has spoken at the United Nations twice in the past year, once on World Autism Awareness Day in April, to share his knowledge and firsthand experience about assistive technology and successful law enforcement interactions for people on the autism spectrum…and again in December for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, where he discussed practicing diversity and inclusion in employment.
Thomas currently lives in Santa Clarita, California, with his dog, Bridget, and, having run two marathons, is currently training to run his first half-Ironman triathlon.