Tallulah Willis Is 'Still Exploring' Her Recent Autism Diagnosis as She's Honored for Raising Awareness (Exclusive)

Tallulah Willis is hoping to raise awareness for autism following her own diagnosis last year.

On July 24, nonprofit organization Autism Speaks announced that the 30-year-old — who is the daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis — will host its Los Angeles Gala this year.

At the event, which will be held October 24 at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood, Willis will be honored for using her platform to raise awareness about autism. Past honorees include Dave Grohl, J.K. Simmons, Sarah McLachlan, Alyssa Milano, Jeannie Mai, Kristin Chenoweth, Naomi Campbell and more.

“As I was diagnosed later in life with autism, I'm still exploring how it affects my life and how I see it present in my day-to-day,” Willis tells PEOPLE. “Prior to my diagnosis, I noticed that my extreme sensitivity with my five senses — I’ve had a heightened sense of taste, smell, touch, sight and hearing since I was a child — was not as common for everyone else.”

“My goal is to help raise as much awareness and understanding around ASD as I possibly can, specifically in supporting women who are more commonly misdiagnosed,” she says.

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Autism Speaks defines autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as "a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication."

According to the organization, signs of autism usually present around ages 2-3. However, signs can be missed because autism is a spectrum and pediatricians may want to give a patient time to develop before making a diagnosis, the Child Mind Institute states.

“It is a privilege to have the support of advocates like Tallulah in calling awareness to the most pressing issues for the autistic community,” Georgianna Junco-Kelman, Autism Speaks board member and special education attorney, said in a statement. “While we are celebrating the strides we made in driving inclusion at past Autism Speaks Los Angeles Galas, work still needs to be done to ensure there are more opportunities, particularly in the entertainment sector, that allow people with autism to reach their full potential.” 

“In collaboration with local communities and supporters, we are proud to serve as key source of information, steadfast allies in the fight for greater representation, and champions for true acceptance of autistic people at every stage of life,” she continued.

Willis first revealed she was diagnosed with autism in a social media post in March. “Found out this summer and it’s changed my life. ☀️” she shared on Instagram before calling herself “neurospicy” in a comment.