Famous People Who Have or Had Asperger's Syndrome

Author: Michelle Fattig : Contact: Disabled World

Published: 2017-11-10 : (Rev. 2020-01-19)

Synopsis and Key Points:

A list of famous people who either have or had Aspergers Syndrome during their life.

Asperger's Syndrome was first recognized by Hans Asperger in 1944, who recognized that the patterns of behaviors and characteristics were often noticed in the parents as well - most noticeably in the fathers.

One reason why the prevalence of Asperger's Syndrome in girls and women is so low in comparison to boys and men may be the fundamental lack of awareness of what Asperger's Syndrome "looks like" in females.

Main Digest

The difficulty in understanding and acknowledging autism, primarily high functioning autism or Asperger's Syndrome, by the medical, psychological, and psychiatric community, can lead to misdiagnosis and even failure to provide the services needed for students (Autism Today, 2007).

People with Asperger's Syndrome are often described, as having social skills deficits, reluctance to listen, difficulty understanding social give and take, and other core characteristics, is typically quite misunderstood and/or misdiagnosed in our country today.

First recognized by Hans Asperger in 1944, who recognized that the patterns of behaviors and characteristics were often noticed in the parents as well, most noticeably in the fathers, and he very perceptively noted, "that the condition was probably due to genetic or neurological, rather than psychological or environmental factors," (Attwood, 2006, p. 2).

Psychologists, physicians, educators, and parents remain largely uneducated and uninformed regarding high functioning autism and Asperger's Syndrome, particularly in girls and women, and the person is often misdiagnosed (Fattig, 2007). "Asperger's syndrome has probably been an important and valuable characteristic of our species throughout evolution," (Attwood, 2006, p. 2).

Autism impacts normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. The disorder makes it hard to communicate with others and relate to the social world. In some cases, aggressive and/or self-injurious behavior may be present (Autism Society of Delaware, 2005); however, internal behaviors such as withdrawal, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and social isolation may be just as prevalent (Fattig, 2007). "Persons with autism may exhibit repeated body movements (hand flapping, rocking), unusual responses to people or attachments to objects and resistance to changes in routines. Individuals may also experience sensitivities in the five senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste," (Autism Society of Delaware, 2005).



Greta Thunberg wearing a pink T-shirt addressing a crowd in Berlin, Germany.

One reason why the prevalence of Asperger's Syndrome in girls and women is so low in comparison to boys and men may be the fundamental lack of awareness of what Asperger's Syndrome "looks like" in females. Traditional frameworks may indicate that the female with Asperger's Syndrome is just shy, quiet, perfect at school so her parents must be exaggerating, tomboyish, moody, overly competitive, aloof, Gothic, depressed, anxious, or a perfectionist (Fattig, 2007). The Viennese pediatrician, Asperger, described a group of children with similar characteristics, observing that "the children's social maturity and social reasoning were delayed and some aspects of their social abilities were quite unusual at any stage of development," (Attwood, 2006, p. 2).

More specifically, the pediatrician included aspects of difficulty to include social skills, friendship skills, conversational skills, pedantic speech patterns, tendency towards ego-centrism and preoccupation in a particular area of interest, lack of emotional control, and an immaturity of empathetic skills. These children were noted to have difficulty attending in class and demonstrated learning deficits, along with organizational, motor, and sensory concern. The difficulty in understanding and acknowledging autism, primarily high functioning autism or Asperger's Syndrome, by the medical, psychological, and psychiatric community, can lead to misdiagnosis and even failure to provide the services needed for students (Autism Today, 2007). Applying these characteristics to famous or historical figures, may allow a better understanding of the significant positive impact great Asperger's ancestors have left behind towards an enlightened and improved society and world.

NOTE: A retrospective diagnosis is the practice of identifying a condition in a historical figure using modern knowledge, methods and medical classifications. The list below includes famous people for whom there is a lot of speculation that they have or had Aspergers Syndrome, but who may not have (or have had) Aspergers at all.

Famous People Who Have/Had Aspergers Syndrome

Adam Young, multi-instrumentalist, producer and the founder of the electronic project Owl City.

Adrian Lamo, American computer hacker

Carl Soderholm, speaker in neuropsychiatric disorders

Clay Marzo, American professional surfer

Craig Nicholls, frontman of the Australian garage rock band, The Vines

Dan Aykroyd, comedian and actor: Aykroyd stated he has Asperger's, but some feel he was joking.

Daniel Tammet, British autistic savant, believed to have Asperger Syndrome

Daryl Hannah, actress

Dawn Prince-Hughes, PhD, primate anthropologist, ethologist, and author of Songs for the Gorilla Nation

Gary Numan, British singer and songwriter

Greta Thunberg, pictured above, was born on the 3rd of January 2003. Greta Thunberg is a Swedish environmental activist on climate change whose campaigning has gained international recognition. Greta Thunberg has not referred to herself as disabled. She wants the world to know that Asperger's is her superpower and that in times of crisis we need people who can think outside of the box.

Heather Kuzmich, fashion model and reality show contestant on America's Next Top Model

James Durbin, finalist on the tenth season of American Idol

Jerry Newport, American author and mathematical savant, basis of the film Mozart and the Whale

John Elder Robison, author of Look Me in the Eye

Judy Singer, Australian disability rights activist

Liane Holliday Willey, author of Pretending to be Normal, Asperger Syndrome in the Family; Asperger syndrome advocate; education professor; and adult diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at age 35

Lizzy Clark, actress and campaigner

Luke Jackson, author

Michael Burry, US investment fund manager

Paddy Considine, actor

Peter Howson, Scottish painter

Phillipa "Pip" Brown (aka Ladyhawke), indie rock musician

Raymond Thompson, New Zealand scriptwriter and TV producer

Richard Borcherds, mathematician specializing in group theory and Lie algebras

Satoshi Tajiri, creator and designer of Pokemon

Tim Ellis, Australian magician and author

Tim Page, Pulitzer Prize-winning critic and author

Travis Meeks, lead singer, guitarist and song writer for acoustic rock band Days of the New.

Vernon L. Smith, Nobel Laureate in Economics

Speculated to have Asperger's Syndrome

Abraham Lincoln,1809-1865, US Politician

Alan Turing, 1912-1954, English mathematician, computer scientist and cryptographer

Albert Einstein, 1879-1955, German/American theoretical physicist

Alexander Graham Bell, 1847-1922, Scottish/Canadian/American inventor of the telephone

Anton Bruckner , 1824-1896, Austrian composer

Bela Bartok, 1881-1945, Hungarian composer

Benjamin Franklin,1706-1790, US polictician/writer

Bertrand Russell, 1872-1970, British logician

Bobby Fischer, 1943-2008, World Chess Champion

Carl Jung, 1875-1961, Swiss psychoanalyst

Charles Rennie Mackintosh, 1868-1928, Scottish architect and designer

Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, US poet

Erik Satie, 1866-1925 - Composer

Franz Kafka, 1883-1924, Czech writer

Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844-1900, German philosopher

George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Irish playwright, writer of Pygmalion, critic and Socialist

George Washington, 1732-1799, US Politician

Gustav Mahler, 1860-1911, Czech/Austrian composer

Marilyn Monroe, 1926-1962, US actress

H P Lovecraft, 1890-1937, US writer

Henry Cavendish, 1731-1810, English/French scientist, discovered the composition of air and water

Henry Ford, 1863-1947, US industrialist

Henry Thoreau, 1817-1862, US writer

Isaac Newton, 1642-1727, English mathematician and physicist

Jane Austen, 1775-1817, English novelist, author of Pride and Prejudice

Kaspar Hauser, c1812-1833, German foundling, portrayed in a film by Werner Herzog

Ludwig II, 1845-1886, King of Bavaria

Ludwig Wittgenstein, 1889-1951, Viennese/English logician and philosopher

Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770-1827, German/Viennese composer

Mark Twain, 1835-1910, US humorist

Michelangelo, 1475 1564 - Italian Renissance artist

Nikola Tesla, 1856-1943, Serbian/American scientist, engineer, inventor of electric motors

Oliver Heaviside, 1850-1925, English physicist

Richard Strauss, 1864-1949, German composer

Seth Engstrom, 1987-Present, Magician and World Champion

Thomas Edison, 1847-1931, US inventor

Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826, US politician

Vincent Van Gogh, 1853-1890, Dutch painter

Virginia Woolf, 1882-1941, English Writer

Wasily Kandinsky, 1866-1944, Russian/French painter

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756-1791, Austrian composer

Historical people

Alfred Hitchcock, 1899-1980, English/American film director

Andy Kaufman, 1949-1984, US comedian, subject of the film Man on the Moon

Andy Warhol, 1928-1987, US artist.

Charles Schulz, 1922-2000, US cartoonist and creator of Peanuts and Charlie Brown

Glenn Gould, 1932-1982, Canadian pianist

Hans Asperger, 1906-1980, Austrian paediatric doctor after whom Asperger's Syndrom is named

Howard Hughes, 1905-1976, US billionaire

Isaac Asimov, 1920-1992, Russian/US writer on science and of science fiction, author of Bicentennial Man

Jim Henson, 1936-1990, creator of the Muppets, US puppeteer, writer, producer, director, composer

John Denver, 1943-1997, US musician

L S Lowry, 1887-1976, English painter of "matchstick men"

Contemporary People

Al Gore, 1948-, former US Vice President and presidential candidate

Bill Gates, 1955-, Entrepreneur and philanthropist. A key player in the personal computer revolution.

Bob Dylan, 1941-, US singer-songwriter

Charles Dickinson, 1951, US Writer

Crispin Glover, 1964-, US actor

David Helfgott, 1947-, Australian pianist, subject of the film Shine

Garrison Keillor, 1942-, US writer, humorist and host of Prairie Home Companion

Genie, 1957-?, US "wild child" (see also L'Enfant Sauvage, Victor, )

James Taylor, 1948-, US singer/songwriter

Jamie Hyneman, 1956-, Co-host of Mythbusters

Jeff Greenfield, 1943-, US political analyst/speechwriter, a political wonk

John Motson, 1945-, English sports commentator

John Nash, 1928-, US mathematician (portrayed by Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind, USA 2001)

Joseph Erber, 1985-, young English composer/musician who has Asperger's Syndrome, subject of a BBC TV documentary

Michael Palin, 1943-, English comedian and presenter

Oliver Sacks, 1933-, UK/US neurologist, author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Awakenings

Paul Kostabi 1962-, writer, comedian, artist, producer, technician

Pip Brown "Ladyhawke", 1979-, New Zealand Singer/Songwriter, Musician

Robin McLaurin Williams, (July 21, 1951 - August 11, 2014), US Actor

Seth Engstrom, 1987-, Magician and World Champion in Sleight of Hand. The best man with a deck of cards that the world has ever seen.

Tony Benn, 1925-2014, English Labour politician

Author of the Annie Books Series, Michelle Fattig is a school psychologist and medical technologist, who volunteers as a parent advocate, and provides professional development to parents and educators, regarding Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Improving Learning for Children with Disabilities (ILCD), Hidden Disabilities, and Response to Intervention (RTI). She is a proud veteran of the Air Force and previous school board member. Michelle has Asperger's Syndrome, Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity Disorder, and learning disabilities. She is a doctoral candidate in Education Leadership.

NOTE: If you know of a discrepancy in this list please contact us so we can amend the entry.

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Page Citation:

Journal: Disabled World. Language: English. Author: Michelle Fattig. Electronic Publication Date: 2017-11-10. Last Revised Date: 2020-01-19. Reference Title: "Famous People Who Have or Had Asperger's Syndrome", Source: Famous People Who Have or Had Asperger's Syndrome. Abstract: A list of famous people who either have or had Aspergers Syndrome during their life. Retrieved 2020-09-29, from https://www.disabled-world.com/disability/awareness/famous/asp.php - Reference Category Number: DW#511-13110.