70 famous people with autism who attained celebrity status against all odds

Autism as a disorder that may very well hamper the ‘normal functioning’ of an individual might indeed be a cause of concern for millions in the world. Yet as evidences throughout history suggest, almost all brilliant minds find a place somewhere on the radar of the autism spectrum disorder. Whether autism does indeed enhance intelligence is a matter of speculation, but autism for sure cannot in any way dampen the strength that the spirit embodies. Here are 70 famous people with autism who attained celebrity status against all odds-

#1 50 Tyson

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Antonio Henderson-Davis popularly known as 50 Tyson has autism. He hasn’t looked back ever since he became viral on YouTube. His name is said to be an amalgamation of the names of popular celebrities 50 Cent and Mike Tyson.

#2 Albert Einstein

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One of the most genius of minds to have graced history, Albert Einstein is often believed to be on the spectrum of autism disorders. His exemplary intellect and loner tendencies in fact points to his somewhat definite presence on the autism radar.

#3 Birger Sellin

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Birger Sellin is an accomplished author. In fact, Sellin is the first functionally non-verbal person in Germany with autism to become a published author. His first work titled Ich will kein inmich mehr sein: Botschaften aus einem autistischen Kerker was published in the year 1993.

#4 Satoshi Tajiri

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Pokemon creator Satoshi Tajiri is also another famous presence on the high-functioning end of the Autism Spectrum. However, the Japanese video game designer wants his achievements to speak of him rather than his prevailing disorder.

#5 Alexis Wineman

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The first ever Miss America contestant with pervasive development disorder, Alexis Wineman went on to be voted America’s Choice Award dealing successfully with the social pressures that come with such widespread reaching public appearances.

#6 Dan Aykroyd

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An Emmy winner, Canadian actor Dan Aykroyd is known for the supernatural comedy franchise Ghostbusters. As a child whose unruly behavior got him expelled from school, Dan grew up to be an eccentric soul obsessed with parapsychology. Good that Dan’s aspiration for ghostly things blessed us with this not so ghastly comedy!

#7 Alonzo Clemons

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American animal sculptor Alonzo Clemons is an autistic savant. Known to be able to create any animal sculpture, Clemons amazing artwork have been sold for as as high $45,000.

#8 Temple Grandin

One of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people, Temple Grandin’s disassociation with social behavior renders her more capable of putting her thrust on doing what she loves most. An animal scientist apart from being an autism spokespersona, Grandin firmly believes that the world would not get anything done if the autism gene were to be wiped out of existence.

#9 Amanda Baggs

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American blogger Amanda Melissa Baggs blogs about autism. She has low-functioning autism and speaks through a communication device communicates. She described her life in a YouTube video – In My Language.

#10 Courtney Love

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Musician and actor Courtney Love was diagnosed with autism at a tender age of nine. However, this did not deter the lady from setting out to achieve her own share of success. Even with a certain level of introversion, Love has been in the spotlight for many years now.Andy Warhol

#11 Gary Numan

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Techno pop pioneer Gary Numan has been painfully shy in his early years and has in fact recognised his Asperger’s syndrome as being beneficial for his work.

#12 Tito Mukhopadhyay

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Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay has low functioning non-verbal autism. His Case was brought to the limelight after meeting autism researcher Richard Mills. A documentary entitled ‘Tito’s Story’ was made by BBC.

#13 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

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A musical prodigy and perhaps one of the greatest exponents of classical music, Mozart is yet another famous people with autism. Whether it be his mathematical patterns or chord progressions in music, autism did indeed bless the world through Mozart, never mind his erratic mood swings and outbursts.

#14 Dylan Scott Pierce

A self taught painter who had been exhibiting artistic potential as a child, Dylan Scott Pierce is an autistic talent and now specialises mainly in wildlife art.

#15 Bhumi Jensen

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Bhumi Jensen also known Khun Poom Jensen was the grandson of the former King of Thailand – Bhumibol Adulyadej . Jensen had autism which led to an increased awareness about the syndrome because of his status quo.

#16 Charles Darwin

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Charles Robert Darwin is known for his works as a biologist, naturalist and geologist. He proposed the idea that all species of life descended over time from common ancestors.  It is speculated that he had Asperger’s syndrome – a form of autism.

#17 Emily Dickinson

A prolific poet and one of the most celebrated of all times, Emily Dickinson was indeed a peculiar personality. But it wasn’t just her person that showed signs of autism, her unconventional works were equally steeped in acute references to her condition.

#18 Paul Dirac

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One of the most significant physicists of the 20th century who was awarded the 1933 Nobel Prize, Paul Dirac was autistic. Shy and modest, Dirac’s phenomenal success as a theoretical physicist has been attributed to his presence on the autism spectrum disorder.

#19 Bobby Fischer

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Widely considered to be the greatest chess player of all time, American chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer also spawned his game of pawns drawing from his immense concentration as an autistic personality.

#20 Bill Gates

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One of the world’s wealthiest man and a genius mind, the Microsoft co founder is also speculated to be party to a mild case of autism. Whether it be his slightly eccentric personality or his body mannerisms, the business magnate is expected to continue with the legacy of proving autism as a case in point in generating greatness.

#21 Christopher Knowles

Among the crowd of famous people with autism is also American poet and painter Christopher Knowles. He deals with the frenzied world as he sees it, by being engrossed in his art that is immersive and speaks so much about and for him.

#22 Kodi Lee

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Kodi Lee won people’s hearts with his amazing voice and piano skills. He received the Golden Buzzer from the judge of America’s Got Talent – Gabrielle Union. The YouTube video of his audition has gone viral over the Internet. Kodi is autistic and blind.

#23 Michelangelo

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Even as Autism as a term come to be coined only sometime in the 20th century, the disorder was indeed found to be prevalent in earlier times as well. The famous Renaissance artist Michelangelo was speculated to have Asperger’s symptoms which somewhat explains his failed relationships and troubled life. On the bright side however, this also led the painter to devote his intense concentration to dish out magnificient models of artistic brilliance.

#24 Sir Isaac Newton

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Isaac Newton and his discovery of gravity sure made understanding existence on earth a matter much simple. However, things were believed to be not so smooth for the genius scientist was autistic. Newton’s autism got manifested in his extreme dediation to his work and also his many eccentricities like him teaching an empty classroom.

#25 Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla is made huge contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system. He was rumoured to have had Asperger Syndrome.

#26 Lucy Blackman

The first functionally non-verbal autistic Australian to become credited as a published author, Lucy became a household name after her book Lucy’s Story: Autism and Other Adventures was released in 2001.

#27 Marty Balin

The founder of a psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane, Marty Balin is also a part of the famous people with autism gang and continues to be an advocate for those on the Autism Spectrum.

#28 Daniel Tammet

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English author and translator, Daniel Tammet is an autistic savant who also has Asperger’s syndrome. Daniel’s exceptional mathematical and linguistic abilities are credited to his exceptionally brilliant mind that is highly influenced by autism.

#29 Luca Brecel

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Belgian’s professional snooker player Luca Brecel is a true snooker prodigy. The youngest player to play at the Crucible, Luca suffers from a mild form of autism spectrum disorder.

#30 Daryl Hannah

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An acclaimed actress and a massive star of the 80’s, Daryl Hannah has had an Asperger’s syndrome that left her virtually nonfunctional in public. Nevertheless she persisted in her efforts and rose to become one of the stars of her era. An environment activist as well, Hannah is now more than proactive about dealing with the troubles of being autistic in the public arena.

#31 Derek Paravicini

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A blind English autistic savant and musical prodigy, Derek Paravinci is a true wonder phenomenon, who can play any music after he has heard it for just one time.

#32 Caiseal Mor

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Best selling novelist Caiseal Mor was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when he was a child. However he did not let his disorder act as a hamper to his career growth and emerged as one of the most famous people with autism in the world.

#33 Evgeny Kissin

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A Russian classical pianist and ‘the most phenomenal prodigy of our times’ is also speculated to owe his virtuosity and wide grasp and repertoire in music to autism.

#34 Henriett Seth F.

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Henriett Seth F. is a musician, artist, poet and writer from Hungary who happens to be a savant. She is known for her work – Autizmussal önmagamba zárva (“Closed into myself with autism”).

#35 Hikari Oe

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Hikari Ōe is the son of Japanese author Kenzaburō Ōe and was autistic. He became a Japanese composer.

#36 James Durbin

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As a child diagnosed with autism and Tourette’s syndrome, the fourth placed contestant of the reality show American Idol has employed music as a means to tide over his difficulties. What’s more, the condition has also been a source of his expanding creativity.

#37 Richard Wawro

A remarkable Scottish artist who creates detailed drawings wax oil crayons, Richard Wawro is an autistic savant emerged to be phenomenally famous in spite of being identified as retarded in his childhood.

#38 Thristan Mendoza

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A Filipino autistic savant and marimba prodigy who has dealt with the disorder since the age of two and a half, Thristan Mendoza has been a child prodigy who has grow to be an internationally famed personality now.

#39 Peter Tork

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Peter Tork was popular as the keyboardist and bass guitarist of the Monkees. The American musician, composer and actor had Aspergers Syndrome.

#40 Stephen Wiltshire

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Stephen Wiltshire is an autistic savant and is popular as a British architectural artist. He has an incredible talent to draw from memory a landscape after seeing it once.

#41 Jim Sinclair

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Jim Sinclair is an autistic who formed Autism Network International (ANI) in 1992 along with Kathy Lissner Grant and Donna Williams.

#42 Matt Savage

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A musical prodigy who self taught himself to read music at the tender age of six, Matt Savage is an autistic savant who had excelled in musical exploits and was touring the world by the time he was a mere 11 year old lad.

#43 Benjamin Banneker

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Benjamim Banneker has been a free African-American almanac author despite having only little formal education. His unparalled love of brilliance and his self taught geniosity puts him on the radar for being one among the famous people with autism in history.

#44 Leslie Lemke

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Leslie Lemke is a blind American autistic savant who is also a man memorable, most notably for his phenomenal work as a musician.

#45 Susan Boyle

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Susan Boyle had swept over the talent show Britain’s Got Talent when she burst into the stage in the third season of the reality show. With an apparent lack of control over her emotions due to an Asperger’s condition, the shy singer however revealed that she was actually relieved to have found out about her condition.

#46 James Hobley

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A finalist of 2011 Britain’s Got Talent, James Hobley is an autistic dancer whose dance success was featured in Disco and Me, a 2010 BBC Three documentary on autism.

#47 Jonathan Lerman

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An American autistic savant outsider artist diagnosed with the disorder since the age of three, Jonathan Lerman inspires awe with his remarkable artistic depictions.

#48 Matthew Laborteaux

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American actor and voice artist, Matthew Laborteaux was diagnosed as autistic and was speculated as never being able to lead a normal life. Matthew however defied all odds and now is counted in the list of famous people with autism around the world.

#49 Todd Hodgetts

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An Australian athlete who won a gold medal at the 2012 London Paralympics and a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, Todd Hodgetts is another notable autistic person with a stupendous claim to fame.

#50 Michelle Dawson

An autism researcher, Michelle Dawson draws upon her own experience of being an autistic personality to strive and make the world a better place for other people with autism.

#51 Jason McElwain

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A high functioning amateur athlete, American Jason McElwain might have been autistic but he did not let his disorder hamper his chances of becoming a successful sportsperson.

#52 Tony DeBlois

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The blind American autistic savant and musician Tony DeBlois has been a prodigious musical genius who can play up to 20 musical instruments and a phenomenal 8000 pieces of music from memory!

#53 Vincent D’Onofrio

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Acclaimed American actor and film maker Vincent D’Onforio very often speculates that he might have been autistic, considering that he has an entire family on the radar of the autism specter disorder.

#54 Hans Christian Andersen

Creator of the children’s endearing tale The Ugly Duckling, Danish author Hans Christian Andersen is also speculated to be one among the famous people with autism throughout the whole of history.

#55 Tim Burton

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The legendary director who is the man behind delightful films like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland also identifies as being somewhat of an autistic personality.

#56 Jessica-Jane Applegate

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The celebrated British paralympic swimmer was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at childhood. However, her undaunted spirit never let her aspirations of becoming an accomplished swimmer bow down to this disorder.

#57 Lewis Carroll

Alice in Wonderland and Looking Through the Looking Glass- two of the classic children’s works in history would not have been possible without the genius of the remarkably talented writer Lewis Caroll who has also been supposed to be autistic.

#58 Jonathan Jayne

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Former American Idol contestant and now a paralympician, Jonathan Jayne is another autistic person on the fame radar.

#59 Henry Cavendish

An English scientist and theoretical chemist and physicist known for his discovery of hydrogen, Henry Cavendish might have lost out to inkling his name some other scientific laws because of his shy manifestation as a person with Asperger’s syndrome. But as one of the world famous people with autism in history, Cavendish does indeed establish what has been thought to be true- that autism indeed pursues intelligence just a bit more.

#60 Thomas Jefferson

The third President of the Unite States, Thomas Jefferson’s shyness and intolerance of loud noises spoke of the presence of an autism spectrum disorder.

#61 Steve Jobs

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The co founder of a modern tech giant Apple, Steve Jobs’s intellect and hyper tendency towards perfection has led to speculations of him being an autistic personality.

#62 James Joyce

A celebrated writer of the 20th century known for his exemplary literary work Ulysees, James Joyce also has his autism disorder to thank for rendering him one of the most influential among famous people with autism in the world.

#63 Woody Allen

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A three time Oscar winner, the quirky film maker Woody Allen is another gem among the famous people with autism. In a career spanning more than six decades in which he defied all challenges of autism to in fact emerge fourth among 100 greatest stand up comedians in a list by Comedy Central.

#64 Stanley Kubrick

One of the most influential film maker in cinematic history, Stanley Kubric’s phenomenal film making obsession led him to churn out movies that are true masterpieces. Stanley was identified as having Asperger’s only after his death. However, his life works is an exemplary demonstration of the brilliance that the syndrome enthused into him.

#65 Barbara McClintock

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The 1983 Nobel Prize winner in Medicine, Barbara McClintock known for her work in the genetic structure of maize has also been thought to be an autistic personality.

#66 Andy Warhol

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One of the leading pop artists in the world Andy Warhol has also been speculated to be somewhat autistic. His personality as well as his art manifestations did indeed show subtle effects of autism.

#67 Ludwig Wittgenstein

Ludwig Wittgenstein has been one of the most prominent philosophers of the twentieth century, and second in stature only to Immanuel Kant. This another presence on the list of famous people with autism was said to have higher functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome.

#68 William Butler Yeats

The brilliant poet that William Butler Yeats had been, it is very often speculated that this eccentric man had also been autistic. In fact, Yeats is believed to have exhibited classical autism features. The claims though had stirred a controversy in Ireland, where Yeats is granted an esteemed position among the literary minds.

#69 Anthony Hopkins

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Oscar winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins has also been diagnosed with high functioning Asperger’s syndrome that makes him extremely restless and also results in him having lesser friends.

#70 James Henry Pullen

The Genius of Earlswood Asylum, James Henry Pullen was a British autistic savant might not have uttered anything comprehensible his entire life but with his determination and skill have still managed to make it matter as one of the famous people with autism in history.