List of people on the autistic spectrum facts for kids
This page is a list of famous people who have been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. These disorders include autism, Asperger syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).
Contents
People diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder
Actors and singers
| Person: | Diagnosis: | Famous For: | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Aykroyd | Asperger's | Acting; says his Asperger's helped him with the movie Ghostbusters because he was so interested in ghosts and law enforcement | |
| Susan Boyle | Asperger's | Winning 2nd place on Britain's Got Talent in 2009, then becoming a famous singer | |
| James Durbin | Asperger's | Winning 4th place on American Idol in 2011, then becoming a famous singer and guitar player | |
| Daryl Hannah | Autism | Acting; diagnosed with autism during childhood | |
| Courtney Love | Autism | Singing, writing songs, and acting; diagnosed with "mild autism" at age 9 |
Models
| Person: | Diagnosis: | Famous For: | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heather Kuzmich | Asperger's | Winning 5th place on America's Next Top Model in 2007 | |
| Alexis Wineman | PDD-NOS | In 2013, she was voted Miss Montana. She became the first person with an Autism Spectrum Disorder to compete in the Miss America pageant |
Other famous people
| Person: | Diagnosis: | Famous For: | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Govy | Autism | Being an award winning visual artist; exhibited internationally; diagnosed in 2013. | |
| Temple Grandin | Autism | Being a professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University; improving how animals like cattle are treated; fighting for autism rights | |
| Dennis Rodman | Asperger | Being a famous basketball player; diagnosed while on Celebrity Rehab |
People from history
Some doctors, writers, and historians think they can diagnose people from the past with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. They do this by reading about what the person was like and seeing if any of the symptoms of an Autism Spectrum Disorder fit that person.
Because autism and Asperger syndrome were first described in the 1940s, none of these people could have actually been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder while they were alive.
| Person: | Diagnosis: | Famous For: | Who Thought They Had an ASD? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michelangelo | Asperger's | Being a famous artist during the Renaissance. He was unable to keep relationships with other people. | Arshad and Fitzgerald; Ioan James |
| Glenn Gould | Asperger's | Being a Canadian pianist, and an interpreter for Johann Sebastian Bach. Gould liked routine so much that he used the same seat until it was worn through. He did not like talking to people, and when he got older, he used the phone or letters any time he needed to communicate with someone. He did not like being touched, and would rock back and forth while playing music. | Michael Fitzgerald, Ioan James, Tony Attwood, Peter Ostwald |
| Charles XII of Sweden | Asperger's | Being King of Sweden from 1697-1718. He was stubborn, did exactly the same things every day, and did not feel bad for other people. | Gillberg and Lagerkvist |
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Asperger's | Being a famous composer who wrote his first music at age five | Tony Attwood and Michael Fitzgerald; others disagree |
| Thomas Jefferson | Asperger's | Being the 3rd President of the United States and writing the Declaration of Independence | Norm Ledgin, Tony Attwood, and Ioan James |
| Henry Cavendish | Autism | Being a famous 18th century British scientist. He rarely saw other people, had trouble dealing with other people, could not look people in the eyes, and was very interested in patterns. | Oliver Sacks and Ioan James. Fred Volkmar of Yale Study Child Center disagrees. |
| Emily Dickinson | Asperger's | Being one of the most famous poets of all time | Vernon Smith |
| James Joyce | Asperger's | Writing a famous book called Ulysses | Michael Fitzgerald and Antionette Walker; others disagree. |
| Blind Tom Wiggins | Autism (savant) | Even though he was blind, he learned to play the piano at age 4. He became one of the best-known American pianists in the 19th century. | Oliver Sacks |
| Prince John of the United Kingdom | Autism | This 20th century British prince was famous for his epilepsy and staying away from other people. He did the same things over and over again, and is thought to have been autistic and intellectually disabled. | K. D. Reynolds and Paul Tizley |
| Adolf Hitler | Asperger's | Leading Nazi Germany and ordering The Holocaust | Michael Fitzgerald and Andreas Fries; others disagree. |
| Alan Turing | Autism | Helping to create computer science; breaking Nazi codes during World War II. He may have been a math savant. | Tony Attwood and Ioan James |
| Charles Richter | Asperger's | Being the seismologist who created the Richter scale | Susan Hough |
| Stanley Kubrick | Asperger's | Being a famous filmmaker. He was obsessive and had trouble dealing with other people when he was making movies. | Michael Fitzgerald and Viktoria Lyons |
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List of people on the autistic spectrum Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.