Willey holds a
doctorate in education, specializing in the fields of
psycholinguistics and learning style differences. She is the senior editor of
Autism Spectrum Quarterly and a speaker on the subject of Asperger syndrome. She is the author of several books on Asperger syndrome, including ''Pretending to be Normal: Living with Asperger's Syndrome
, Asperger Syndrome in Adolescence: Living with the Ups, the Downs, and Things in Between
, Asperger Syndrome in the Family: Redefining Normal
, and Safety Skills for Asperger Women: How to Save a Perfectly Good Female Life''. These books offer insight and guidance for those with Asperger syndrome and their families. She also wrote the foreword for
Rudy Simone's book
Aspergirls, which was republished by the
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. == Personal life ==