Many think that a diagnosis of autism means that a child is doomed to a lonely life without achievement. History has proven this theory false, and many people with higher-functioning forms of autism have gone on to do great things. There are some famous autistic people who, although they may have struggled at first, can be an inspiration to children with autism or their parents.
Autism does not have to be a dark and lonely existence. Some autistic children are highly intelligent and have a personality to match. No one with a disability should be underestimated, and this is as true for people with autism as it is for anyone with any other condition.
Although not proven, some speculate that Albert Einstein may have had a high-functioning form of autism. Since he is no longer alive, there is no way he can be diagnosed. However, these theories are popular and are attributed to some behaviors that he demonstrated and that, according to his own words, he was very lonely and did not feel particularly connected with anyone, not even with members of his immediate family. . He was brilliant with mathematics, but according to some accounts, he did not begin to speak until the age of two or three. He would often get so involved in his work that he would forget to eat and if a lecture he was giving did not attract observers, he would give the lecture anyway. Again, this is just a theory, but it would seem that this assumption could be valid.
Jason McElwain is probably one of the most recent and inspiring stories of a person with autism. He was the manager of his high school basketball team at a high school in suburban Rochester, New York, and he practiced shooting hoops for hours on end by himself. Although he technically wasn’t a member of the team due to his height and skill level, he loved the game so much that he stayed with them. He was allowed to play in the final four minutes of the final game of the season and scored an astounding 20 points during that time, some of them from 3-point range. Most players can’t get such a high score for the entire game! He has become an inspiration to many people with autism or autistic children.
Actress Daryl Hannah was said to have been diagnosed as ‘borderline autistic’ at the age of three, but has had a successful acting career. She is probably best known for her role in the Splash movies and the Kill Bill series.
Andy Kaufman (died 1984) was known for having a very strange and wacky sense of humor. He is another actor who is believed to have had autism.
Two well-known artists, Vincent van Gogh and Andy Warhol, may have had autism. They exhibited many traits of those with higher functioning types of this condition and were seen as ‘eccentric’ and brilliant. Autism is believed to be the root cause of their bright and unusual personalities and life choices. Although Courtney Love is perhaps not the best example of what someone with autism can do, it is noted that she was diagnosed at age three as ‘mildly autistic’. She has had her ups and downs, but her band Hole Hers enjoyed some success.
Perhaps some of the people best known for having this condition were born before an actual diagnosis could be made. That means these autistic celebrities have a diagnosis that is based on speculation and things they were known for when they were alive. Many of these people are important both for historical reasons and for improving the world in various ways. Some examples are Sir Isaac Newton (mathematician), Wolfgang Mozart (composer/musician), Charles Darwin (naturalist/scientist), and Michelangelo (painter/sculptor/architect/poet).