Famous people with autism.

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I thought it would be helpful to accumulate a resource of the names of famous people that are autistic. I often find that people who find out that I am autistic don't know what to think or say about it. I try to help them get their head around it by mentioning people that they might be familiar with. Of course the only ones that I was aware of were the one that are rumored to be (i.e. Albert Einstein, Thomas Jefferson, Keanu Reeves). I only recently found out about some famous people that are openly autistic. Here's my list so far, please add as many as you know:

Dan Akroyd (whose always been one of my top two favorite comedians, I, also, like Steven Wright, whom I suspect is also on the spectrum).
Daryl Hannah
Bill Gates

Most famous mathematicians like Ramanujan and Turing , Physicists like Dirac and Von Neumann are Autistic. You can read thier biographies...

Einstein was said to not be autistic , but that was most definitely wrong if you look at the brain biopsy and they also propose that he was a sarcastic wit , but autistics cannot comprehend the meaning of the sarcasm on the listener , nor do they understand other's sarcasm. They also say that he had many interests , not in my view , he was mainly interested in a restricted topic but broad topic , mathematical physics.

I think people say Keanu is an Aspie because he's a bad actor (sorry people, but he is). But he doesn't strike me as an Aspie (in interviews, etc). He just can't act. He can't relax and can't emote on screen.

Other famous people... Let me see. I don't know many. Clay Marzo, the surfer comes to mind.

Ever heard of Brian Regan? I know that he has had interviews with people and talks about his social awkwardness. He's a famous comedian and so funny.

Temple Gradin.

If anybody is interested, I created a sister thread to this one just for fun. "Famous people that you think may have autism." I have a few, but I was wondering if anybody else wanted to comment.

This topic comes up all the time. It's pretty tiresome to me, but I do understand why people think this might be useful. I don't think it's useful at all, for a few important reasons.

1. Every time a list like this is built, people fill it with speculative entries.

This is extremely unhelpful because if we start looking up to people we THINK have or had Autism, but they in fact don't or didn't, we would be looking up to unrealistic ideals. That, I strongly feel is not only unhelpful, but could even be dangerous.

2. Publicly confirmed cases are so rare, even if you could create a list ONLY of confirmed Autistics, it's a short list. Very short.

3. Creating lists of people speculated to have Autism is unfair not only to us, but to the people included in the list.

Think about this. How would people feel if we started creating a list of people who say they have Autism, but are speculated to be faking their Autism? What if YOUR name showed up on that list?



You've already got an example of speculation in your own list. There is a lot of evidence that Dan Ackroyd and Daryll Hannah are both confirmed Autistics. There is no evidence Bill Gates is.

Please don't think I telling anybody what to do. To be honest, I once thought this was a good idea too. There may even be an old post from me somewhere on WP from me with the same idea. I'm not sure if I ever actually posted it. After a long time thinking about it, and seeing the idea constantly being suggested, and the resulting replies, I no longer think the idea is useful in any way shape or form.

If we feel we need heros, what's wrong with having them? If you look up to Thomas Jefferson or Albert Einstein, or anyone else, there is nothing wrong with that.

Why does it matter whether they have or had Autism? Why should it make any difference as to whether you should look up to them?

If you personally have trouble aspiring to certain heights, it's YOU you have to work on. Even if your personal hero actually DOES have Autism, you are still not them. Do not forget that Autism is a spectrum. Just because someone else has or had Autism, and achieved great things, does NOT mean we can all do the same thing.

I don't care who has or had Autism. I know I do, and I know what I need to work on. There are plenty of people I admire, and I have no idea if any of them have Autism. It doesn't make any difference to me.

They are ALL just people.

One: It's not about heroes.
Two: You are trying to tell us what to do.
Three: It's about being able to give NT's examples that they can relate to so they don't think that we are aliens.
Four: I created a separate list for speculative entries.
Five: I don't care what kind of lists I end up on because I don't care what other people think.
Six: If the list is short, then the list is short.
Seven: I think that you may have some issues with your own self esteem, being that this is where your mind immediately went.
Eight: Why am I numbering everything?
Nine: I'm just kidding around with you, but you are taking things too seriously again.

I agree. When the need arises to mention my autism to someone, and if they're not really familiar with autism, I like to cite Bill Gates or (believed) Thomas Edison. Those people are notoriously different in manners, ways & means, but they're also respected and accomplished. I'm not trying to compare my interests to the inventions of Edison, nor to compare my business sense and bank account to Gates, but the idea gets across that you can be with autism and not be a complete goofball, which sadly is what some people think we are, if we say "autism".

Charles

Personally, when it comes to famous people, I'm more interested in celebrities and those who succeed in areas not usually seen as something Aspies would like. Like acting, for example. Or surfing like Clay Marzo.

I don't mention these people to make Aspies look "awesome" to my NT friends, but I do find that NTs are more surprised to learn an actor or a surfer or a model has Aspergers than a computer genius or a scientist.

Ten: Some sites say Bill Gates has been formally diagnosed some say he hasn't been formally diagnosed. I don't know for sure, but I haven't seen anything that says that he doesn't have it, but he seems to be very involved in our community.

I'm autisitic and I use and understand sarcasm very well.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5bYbpdMy2c[/youtube]

A confirmed one.

If Nikola Tesla were around today he would undoubtedly be diagnosed with it.

Former NBA player and recent Hall of Fame inductee Dennis Rodman is suspected to have AS by Dr Drew Pinsky.

He has meltdowns (see altercations with referees), has obsession in rebounding and defense, has monotone voice, he almost never makes eye contact (he wears sunglasses even indoors to avoid direct contact).

Friends say he is socially awkward and has trouble making small talk. Because he became rich and famous, he was naive and letshimself be taken advantage of by free loaders. He was nearly bankrupt at one point before he was traded to the Bulls in 95.

+1 here. There is no "one size fits all" Aspergers definition. I'm awkward or invisible in social situations, but I can be very sarcastic when in the mood.

Count me in, so that makes at least three sartistics.