10 Famous People With Autism Spectrum Disorder

People with autism are often creative, innovative, and highly talented. But many people are surprised when a famous person admits to being on the autism spectrum.

What is autism spectrum disorder?

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. People with ASD may also have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention.

Symptoms of ASD

• Avoids or does not keep eye contact
• Does not respond to name by 9 months of age
• Does not show facial expressions like happy, sad, angry, and surprised by 9 months of age
• Does not play simple interactive games like pat-a-cake
• Uses few or no gestures by 12 months of age (for example, does not wave goodbye)
• Does not share interests with others by 15 months of age
• Does not pretend to be something else, like a teacher or superhero, during play by 48 months of age
• Does not sing, dance, or act for you by 60 months of age

Famous people with autism spectrum disorder

Some celebrities are open about their autism diagnosis; here is The List of the Most Successful people who are dealing with Autism Spectrum:

1. Jerry Seinfeld 

Jerome Allen Seinfeld is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He is best known for playing a semi-fictionalized version of himself in the sitcom Seinfeld, which he created and wrote with Larry David.

Jerry Seinfeld is known for joking around, but he’s serious when talking about autism. He goes on to explain, “I’m very literal. When people talk to me and use expressions, sometimes I don’t know what they’re saying. But I don’t see it as dysfunctional. I just think of it as an alternate mindset.”

Some people on the autism spectrum may feel uncomfortable socializing but excel in math and science careers. Others on the spectrum may not speak or make any eye contact at all, and shun human touch.

2. Woody Allen

Heywood “Woody” Allen is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. Although he has never been officially diagnosed, Woody Allen believes that he is likely on the autism spectrum due to his different ways of thinking.

Allen said, speaking with what appeared to be a mix of irony and genuine anxiety. “I’m struggling with it at home. I should never have gotten into it. I thought it was going to be easy.

3. Temple Grandin

Mary Temple Grandin is an American scientist, academic and animal behaviorist. She is a prominent proponent for the humane treatment of livestock.

Temple Grandin, PhD, is one of the most well-known and accomplished adults with autism. As a child, she did not speak until she was three and half year old, communicating her frustration by screaming, peeping and humming. she  was diagnosed with autism in 1950, at which point her parents were told she should be institutionalized. Her teachers also taught her how to wait and take turns when playing board games. Dr. Grandin became a prominent author and speaker on both autism and animal behavior. When she was young, she was considered weird and teased and bullied in high school.

5. Heather Kuzmich

Heather Kuzmich is an American fashion model. She lives in Chicago, Illinois, where she is studying video game design. She is best known for being a contestant of America’s Next Top Model, Cycle 9, in which she was the ninth eliminated.

During Kuzmich participation in America’s Next Top Model, it was revealed that she was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at age 15. Kuzmich has stated that she struggles with communication and that it is difficult for her to approach people. During Kuzmich participation in America’s Next Top Model, it was revealed that she was diagnosed with A at age 15. Kuzmich has stated that she struggles with communication and that it is difficult for her to approach people.

6. Dan Aykroyd

Daniel Edward Aykroyd is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, musician, and writer. One of the most famous people with ASD is popular comedic actor Dan Aykroyd.  He had already been expelled from two different schools by the time a doctor diagnosed him with mild ASD as a child. Since then, Aykroyd has been pretty honest and up-front about his experiences with the autism spectrum. The Academy Award-nominated actor and writer has even spoken to a great extent about how his experiences with autism contributed to his character in Ghostbusters.

7. Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist widely acknowledged as one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein’s speech development was slower than the average child, and he actually didn’t start speaking until he was three or four. Even up until seven, he’d whisper words to himself before saying them out loud and repeat sentences obsessively.

Einstein wasn’t interested in the energetic games and activities the other kids played – he instead preferred to read books, play the violin, and work on puzzles. Einstein became notorious for giving confusing lectures, and he never felt comfortable delivering speeches, or making small talk with people. He often forgot everyday items such as keys and quickly became known as the stereotypical ‘absent-minded professor.

8. Sir Anthony Hopkins

Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins CBE is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain’s most recognizable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. The 83-year-old Oscar-winning actor was told he has the developmental disorder – which is a form of autism – in his late 70s but insisted he doesn’t ‘feel any different’ and added his frustration that people are so quick to add labels to humans and their behavior these days.

His school days were unproductive; he would rather immerse himself in art, such as painting and drawing, or playing the piano, rather than attend to his studies.

9.Sir Isaac Newton

Sir Isaac Newton PRS was an English mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author, widely recognized as one of the greatest mathematicians and physicists and among the most influential scientists of all time.

As a child, Einstein was also a loner, and repeated sentences obsessively until he was seven years old. He became a notoriously confusing lecturer. And despite the fact that he made intimate friends, had numerous affairs and was outspoken on political issues.

10. Henry Gates

William Henry Gates III is an American business magnate, software developer, investor, author, and philanthropist. He is a co-founder of Microsoft, along with his late childhood friend Paul Allen. Bill Gates is one of the most influential figures in computing history and at one point, the richest man on Earth. He’s also common on lists of famous Autistic people – even though he’s never publicly disclosed that he’s Autistic.

Bill does display behavioral traits that can sometimes be symptoms of Autism. He’s notably averse to eye contact, has a quite short and monotonous pattern of speaking, and even displays a distinctive rocking motion when he’s concentrating on something, among other things, and these behaviors have made him a mainstay on lists of ‘famous autistic people.

FAQ

1. What is Autism Spectrum?

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests.

2. What are the 3 main symptoms of Autism Spectrum?

•  Getting very anxious about social situations.
• Finding it hard to make friends or prefer to be on your own.
• Finding it hard to understand what others are thinking or feeling.

3. Is Autism Spectrum Treatable?

Since no medicine for treating autism has been invented so far, treating physicians use various types of treatments. Such therapies play an important role, behavioral therapies, occupational therapies, and speech therapies.

Final Words

Autism isn’t just a collection of little behavioral quirks,  it’s a condition where individuals have a fundamentally different mental operating system, and that’s hard to diagnose, especially as random strangers on the internet. In this article, we have read about 10 famous people who got affected with Autism disorder. But this is not a serious disease it is just a trait of a person, so it can be cured according to age.

Megha Gupta

Megha Gupta is one of the leading writers of techzimo.com. She is working on Tech Zimo for the last 4 years, Apart from a writing job, she is a professional lecturer in a technology university, Know more about her here on Facebook.