What do Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, Sir Issac Newton, Henry Cavendish and Daryl Hannah have in common? Apart from being famous personalities, they are all individuals who dealt with autism spectrum disorder. But they did not allow living on the spectrum to affect their capabilities. Rather, they went ahead to excel in their individual fields and professions.
Though ASD as a neurological condition has been prevalent for centuries, very often due to lack of awareness and empathy, news of a child being detected with it is met with a host of negative reactions among the family and friends.
This is more than apparent in India where the process by itself remains complicated and traumatic for parents and guardians, who are often the primary caregivers.
After rounds of consultations when detection is positively confirmed, they are left confused, bewildered, and upset. This usually tends to have severe psychological impact on the child, who is at once dealing with a clinical condition and disturbed home environment.
Clearly this is unwanted. Everyone in the family should be spared of such emotional upheaval and distress when the news hits home.
So, the need of the hour is to wake up and smell the coffee.
We need to remember that scores of persons with ASD have gone on to shine in their careers and passions. Scientific discovery or music, painting or entertainment, these individuals have not only surpassed established thresholds but created milestones that have left an indelible mark on generations to follow.
When a child is detected with ASD, you as an adult need to first accept the fact. Accept that it is a form of neurological disorder that needs special treatment and management. Accept that the child requires your empathy and support now more than ever to grow and emerge as an independent and confident individual. Accept that she requires your unquestionable love and patience.
It is not the time to either live in denial, wallow in self-pity or to give in to half-baked ideas by non-specialists attempting to “cure” the child.
In our culture, there is no end to guilt that parents undergo when their child is detected with ASD. It could start oftentimes with the misplaced idea of being negligent and casual during the mother’s pregnancy or child’s early infancy, and finally end with the notion of parents’ karma of another lifetime!
This attitude needs to be firmly nipped in the bud. If required, get professional help and/or counselling to come out of this self-deprecating situation.
Get Inspired by them
Here is a roundup of persons of exceptional calibre and intelligence who led trailblazing lives despite ASD.
These are examples of just a few prominent individuals – past and present – who inspire awe and admiration globally. Remember, there are probably many around us right now leading impressive lives, undoubtedly champions by any yardstick, coping with ASD and managing their lives remarkably.
Lack of awareness and societal pressures often prevent them from declaring and us from recognising these heroes among us.
- Albert Einstein – Though never conclusively proved, most specialists believe that the great scientist and mathematician displayed symptoms of ASD. Einstein’s speech was severely delayed as a child. As per reports, he did not speak till he was about 3 years of age. One of the significant characteristics of children with ASD is abnormally delayed speech development. He also had echolalia, the habit of repeating a particular sentence over and over to himself. Furthermore, as a child he was not social like children of his age, preferring to keep to himself. He was always incredibly technical in temperament. These facts have led specialists to deduce that the genius was surely placed at some point in the spectrum.
- Sir Antony Hopkins – The octogenarian was diagnosed very late in life with ASD. As late as 2014, he disclosed the fact in an interview to the media in 2017. He has admitted that it is probably Asperger’s that has made him a loner for the most part of his life. He dislikes parties and events with too many attendees. His unique ability of memorising lengthy sentences for his role and deconstructing characters, by his own admission, are also due to this clinical condition.
- Bob Dylan – An influential figure in popular music and culture for more than fifty years, Bob Dylan’s “odd” behaviour has been attributed to ASD. He is legendary as a musician, singer, songwriter, artist, and author. He has been called out on several occasions right from his childhood for his odd behaviour. The American popstar is believed to be mildly autistic.
- Sir Issac Newton – He was a famous English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, author, and theologian, and like Einstein, is said to have suffered from ASD. Newton was hailed as a natural philosopher of his time. Experts state that several of Newton’s traits – obsessive interests, communication problems, challenges in maintaining social relationships – are indicative of Asperger’s Syndrome.
- Henry Cavendish – It is next to impossible to prove conclusively so many years after his death, but it has been recently pointed out that Cavendish displayed traits and tendencies of being affected by Asperger’s Syndrome, a type of Autism. Multi-talented Englishman Cavendish wore many hats as a physicist and chemist, a natural philosopher and scientist. He was responsible for several pathbreaking scientific advances such as the discovery of hydrogen. In many accounts of his time by other authors, Cavendish has been described as having challenged communication ability and social interaction.
- Daryl Hannah – In her own words, American actress and popular icon of the 80s says that she “was a little odd and incredibly introverted and withdrawn” when she was young. It is now well known that she suffered from Asperger’s at the time, but due to lack of awareness, she had to struggle for several years and was subjected to bullying in school. Today, Hannah is a confident individual and iconic star of popular films like Kill Bill, Splash and Blade Runner. Having overcome her inhibitions, she leads a successful life befitting a star, other than that of an involved environmental activist.
- Satoshi Tajiri – Born in Tokyo, Satoshi Tajiri developed the habit of collecting bugs and arcade games as a young child. It has been observed that children with ASD usually start “collecting” objects from a young age. In Satoshi’s case, this habit soon turned into an obsession. It grew progressively stronger taking up so much time and attention that it led to him bunking classes and failing in high school. Interestingly, Satoshi went on to harness his obsession to create Pokemon, a game all about collections that became a world-wide phenomenon in recent times. As a high functioning autistic individual, Satoshi is a current day example of how to manage life successfully despite being on the spectrum.
Other than the ones mentioned, history is replete with examples of superlative individuals who have lived and achieved wonders despite being autistic:
- Leonardo da Vinci – Artist
- Alfred Hitchcock – Film Director
- Thomas Alva Edison – Inventor
- Alexander Graham Bell – Inventor
- Benjamin Franklin – Inventor
- Henry Ford – Inventor
- Ludwig van Beethoven – Musician
- George Orwell – Writer
- Jane Austen – Writer
References:
https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/autism/7-famous-people-with-autism-spectrum-disorder
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-48205885
http://aspergerworld.blogspot.com/2009/04/bob-dylan-is-mildly-autistic.html
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn3676-einstein-and-newton-showed-signs-of-autism