MORGAN 
MICHELLE 
BATHGATE
MIDDLEMISS

Michelle Middlemiss was diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum at the age of 30. 
Morgan Bathgate is a college student at Messiah University studying Psychology. She 
graduated in 2020 from Mechanicsburg Area Senior High where she also played water 
She has spent the past ten years as a self-advocate for Autism. After entering into the Adult 
polo, swam competitively, played violin, maintained a 4.0 GPA and took six Advanced 
Autism Waiver in Pennsylvania I received my Associates degree as a Special Needs Teacher’s 
Placement (AP) classes.
Assistant. She volunteers at Spectrum and Sunrise Schools; working with students on the 
spectrum and found that she could help them in ways that only someone who “lives it every 
She was diagnosed with Autism when she was 3 years old. Morgan likes to remind people 
day” is capable.  To achieve her goal for increased awareness of the disability rights of my 
that she may think differently, learn differently and at times struggle to focus—but she 
autistic peers, she speakes about daily life challenges dealing with autism at conferences 
embraces her extraordinary abilities. She is different—but not less.
such as the “6th PA Training Conference in Lancaster, PA. As a presenter at the Everyday 
Lives Conference in Hershey, PA, where she explained how the Autism Waiver in Pa has had 
Morgan describes herself as family oriented, artsy, techie, bookish, musical and 
adventurous. She loves nature, animals, video games and drawing.
a positive impact on making her daily life better. She was the recipient of the 2017 Autistic 
Advocacy Award which is given to an autistic person who has demonstrated commitment to 
the mission of the disability rights movement in Western PA.

She continues to serve as a member of the ISAC Provider Oversight Committee and on the 
Information and Sharing Committee (ISAC) in Harrisburg, which creates a forum to exchange 
ideas and develop policies on key autism initiatives.  Last year she was the recipient of a 
fellowship grant through SARTAC to develop my project, “My Safety, My Rights.”  She wanted 
to ensure that individuals with disabilities are treated with the respect they are entitled to. This 
involved educating the Police so they better understand how to recognize someone on the 
spectrum and ways to ensure their safety. Recently Michelle was happy to be asked to join the 
advocacy group for the Autism Society of PA to learn more about ways to advocate for autism 
and share her ideas.