Monday, August 22, 2022

[New post] 23 Famous People With Autism Who Accomplished Incredible Things

<strong>23 Famous People With Autism Who Accomplished Incredible Things</strong>

victoriaslifeblogcom

Aug 22

While being on the spectrum can sometimes create challenges, these famous people with autism have been able to use their unique way of seeing the world to achieve great feats.

Some of these famous people with autism may surprise you. You may not have known that some of the best-known stars or some of the world's most fascinating minds are actually on the spectrum:

Much of the time," says animal welfare pioneer Temple Grandin, "I feel like an anthropologist on Mars."

Grandin has autism, but it would be hard to call her condition a disability. She has a Ph.D. in animal science and has spearheaded some of the most important and revolutionary ideas in livestock handling of the past century. Indeed, Grandin's innovative ideas were made possible by her unique way of seeing the world.

Still, life as a woman with autism is not without its challenges. For Grandin, relating to other people with conventional brains – "neurotypicals", as the autism community often calls them – can be very difficult.

It's part of the strange, often poorly understood realities of life with autism. It's a condition that can often go unnoticed; an invisible challenge that affects an estimated 1 in 59 people.

But it isn't always just a disability. It's a condition that can come with some incredible gifts – especially for these famous people with autism.

What Is Autism?

"Autism" is a very broad term. It describes a whole spectrum of conditions, all characterized by a few common traits, and just to name a few like repetitive behaviors and challenges with communication and social skills. For instance, you may have heard of or know of a person diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, which is also considered a spectrum disorder.

Some famous people on the autism spectrum are high-functioning which means that they can better integrate into society – even if they often see things slightly differently from the rest of their peers.

Others, however, are more strongly affected. One-third of those with autism suffer from an intellectual disability, and about just as many are susceptible to epilepsy.

One could say that a person with autism is wired differently. Their brain's nerve cells and synapses are organized in a different way, and, as a result, process information uniquely.

Autism can sometimes leave people feeling isolated. "I do not fit in with the social life in my town or university. Most of my Friday and Saturday nights are spent writing papers and drawing," Temple Grandin has said. "My life would be horrible if I did not have my challenging career."

Famous People With Autism

But autism isn't without its gifts. The unique wiring of the brain often gives people with autism a whole different outlook on the world, letting them see it in ways other people wouldn't even consider. And with that unique perspective can there also be an incredible memory or an unrelenting focus on one's passions.

Perhaps that's how these famous people with autism were able to become successful. Experts have also posited that many of these famous people with autism throughout history may well have gone through most of if not all of their lives unaware that they even had the condition.

But without the unique point of view that autism creates some of the great breakthroughs in human history may never have happened. Without people to see things a little differently, our world would simply stay the same.

Anthony Hopkins

Anthony Hopkins was diagnosed with Asperger's when, as he put it: "my wife was trying to figure out who she was married to." He credits Asperger's syndrome with making him extremely restless - and, in turn, an unusually hard worker.

Courtney Love

Courtney Love, singer of Hole, was diagnosed as "mildly autistic" when she was a young girl. Though she was unusually intelligent, she struggled with school and with social interactions.

Kim Peek

The inspiration behind the movie "Rain Man", Kim Peek was famous for being able to perfectly memorize any book he read. While he did not have the motor skills to button up his own shirt, Peek could perfectly recall the contents of 12,000 books.

Temple Grandin

Temple Grandin's work has reshaped the way livestock are handled, thanks in a large part to her unique insight into how an animal's mind works. But today, she's best known for giving the world a unique insight into how the autistic mind works. Her books have helped tear down the stigma around autism and helped others to better understand how people with autism see the world.

Dan Harmon

"Rick and Morty" and "Community" creator Dan Harmon has never been formally diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, but he's convinced that he has it. "I started looking up these symptoms, just to know what they are," he said, "and the more I looked them up, the more familiar they started to seem."