Dr. Paradiz is a longtime supporter of Autism Speaks having first joined the family services committee in 2012 while also serving on the Community Advisory Board. Dr. Paradiz is the director of Valerie Paradiz, LLC, a consultancy that provides technical assistance and strategic development to schools, universities, corporations and agencies that support individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Prior to joining the Autism Research Institute (ARI) in her part-time capacity as Executive Director of the Autistic Global Initiative (AGI), Dr. Paradiz served as Director of Education at New York University’s Asperger Institute. She received her PhD in German Studies with honors from City University of New York’s Graduate Center. Before moving fully into the field of autism, Dr. Paradiz published translations of German literature (All I Need Is Love, Klaus Kinski, Random House, 1995), as well as narrative nonfiction (Clever Maids: A History of the Grimm Fairy Tales, Perseus, 2005) while teaching writing and literature at Bard College.