As California's Autism Rate Hits 1 in 12.5, a Clinician Debuts LA's First Sensory-Friendly Fashion Event

LOS ANGELES - April 25, 2026 - PRLog -- Cozy-Con, the first clinically-designed sensory-friendly fashion and community experience in Los Angeles, debuts Saturday, April 25, at The Fig House in Highland Park. Created by Dr. Deena Moustafa, founder of California behavioral health practice GoBehavioral and adaptive fashion label Cozyino, the invitation-only event arrives in the same month the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised California's autism prevalence to 1 in 12.5 children, the highest rate in the country.

A 2025 study in the journal Autism found that 1 in 3 autistic adults declines to apply for a job because of mandatory uniform policies, reframing adaptive fashion as a workforce issue rather than a cosmetic one.

The afternoon centers on a panel on the shift from autism awareness to autism advocacy, featuring Elaine Hall, founder of The Miracle Project and star of HBO's two-time Emmy-winning Autism: The Musical, whose access coordination work spans Netflix, Disney, and Amazon Prime; and Dr. Monica Ellis-Blied, AuDHD psychologist and founder of Faces of Health. Alex Astrella, an autistic filmmaker and founder of BluStar Productions, and Stacy McAlister Jr., founder and Executive Director of 5-Eleven Hoops.

"Every element here is a clinical choice, not a creative one. That is the standard this community has been asking for," said Dr. Moustafa.

Cozy-Con grew from the twin work of GoBehavioral, the California behavioral health practice Dr. Moustafa founded to serve autistic and neurodivergent families across Los Angeles and Fresno, and Cozyino, the adaptive fashion label she launched to address the sensory and fit gaps mainstream apparel leaves unsolved.

Programming partners include KultureCity, the sensory-inclusion nonprofit certified across more than 6,000 venues in 40 countries; Spectrum Laboratory, the Burbank neurodivergent performing arts studio whose alumni have appeared on Netflix, Atypical, and Sesame Street; and more.

A roster of autistic and neurodivergent creators will amplify Cozy-Con across social media. The event will unveil a limited Cozyino x GoBehavioral Collab Hoodie Drop.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Saturday, April 25, 2026, 1:00 to 5:00 PM PT
Venue: The Fig House by 24 Carrots, Highland Park, Los Angeles
Format: Invitation-only; limited press credentials available on request
Visit: https://gobehavioral.com/ (https://cozy-con-n3uh20f.gamma.site/cozy-con) and https://cozyino.com/

ABOUT COZY-CON

Cozy-Con is a clinically-designed sensory-friendly fashion and community experience created by Dr. Deena Moustafa as an Autism Acceptance Month activation. It is a collaborative initiative between GoBehavioral, a California behavioral health practice serving autistic and neurodivergent families across Los Angeles and Fresno, and Cozyino, an adaptive fashion label engineered with clinical input for sensory-sensitive wear.