Famous people on the Autism Spectrum
It's amazing to know how someone who is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD - a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain) could create a better world.
In fact there are many successful people in the world who are autistics be it activist, actors, celebrities.
There are three types of ASD namely autistic disorder, asperger syndrome and pervasive development disorder.
In conjunction of World's Autism Awareness Day, here's a list of famous people who are diagonsed with autism:
1. Elon Musk - CEO & Chief engineer at SpaceX and CEO & Product Architect of Tesla
The one time world's richest man Elon Musk revealed that he had Asperger's syndrome on a US comedy sketch series Saturday Night Live (SNL).
2. Greta Thunberg - Environmental activist
Greta is a 18-year-old Swedish environmental activist who has 3.5 million followers on Facebook.
Thunberg rose to popularity after staging school strikes for climate change. She was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, OCD and selective mutism.
3. Temple Grandin - Author, Speaker, Scientist
Temple Grandin is a scientist, academic and animal behaviorist. She is also a prominent author and speaker on both autism and animal behavior and was a past member of the board of directors of the Autism Society of America.
She has published numerous books on autism, including children’s books. And she also has a children’s book written about her called The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca.
4. Tim Burton - Director
The man who gave the best memory in everyone's childhood by directing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory believes he has Asperger's.
Burton, who also directed Edward Scissorhands as well as the current Netflix hit Wednesday often chose solitary activities such as painting, drawing and watching films as a child.
Burton says he identifies as being autistic because he shares so many common personality traits with others with ASD. Most of the autistic community support adults who, like Burton, are self-diagnosed for several reasons.
5. Satoshi Tajiri - Creator of Pokemon
Satoshi Tajiri is a Japanese video game designer and director best known for being the creator of the Pokémon franchise and one of the founders and president of video game developer Game Freak.
Born in Tokyo in 1965, the young Satoshi had various obsessions — collecting bugs as a kid and arcade games as a teenager.
People with autism tend to take up collecting as a hobby, so Satoshi gave them and everyone else a gift that only he could create: a whole new thing to collect.
6. Albert Einstein - Scientist
Albert Einstein, as we know, was one of the greatest scientists of all time. His work included relativity theory, quantum mechanics, and atomic structure.
As a child, Einstein experienced severe speech delay and echolalia, which is why many experts concluded that he was autistic.
7. Jerry Seinfeld - Comedian
Jerry Seinfeld, one of the most popular comedians of all time, has said in multiple interviews that he believes himself to be on the autism spectrum.
Though he has never been officially diagnosed by a medical professional, Seinfeld has defended his self-diagnosis by citing various social challenges that he has experienced since childhood, as well as his tendency to think literally.
8. Steve Jobs - American Business Magnate
Those who associate Steve Jobs with autism admit that it’s pure speculation. They are also quick to point out that that speculation has grown more and more mainstream since the Apple genius’s death in 2011.
Those who believe Jobs landed somewhere on the autism spectrum cite such behavioral quirks as his obsession with perfection, unorthodox ways of thinking and general lack of empathy when dealing with others.
