Celebrities can appear to be superhuman at times! But, like all of us, they have quirks and differences.
But which celebrities have Autism?
Autism Spectrum Disorder, also known as ASD, is a neurological disorder.
Common symptoms include communication difficulties, social interaction difficulties, obsessive interests, and repetitive behaviors.
One variation of autism is Asperger Syndrome. People with this may struggle with social relationships and communication.
Autism affects approximately one in every 59 children or 1.79% of the population.
Here are six well-known people who have autism or Asperger Syndrome:
1. Darryl Hannah
Daryl Hannah, an American actress, revealed publicly in 2013 that she was diagnosed with autism as a child. Hannah, who was born on December 3, 1960, rose to prominence in the 1980s with roles in films such as Steel Magnolias, Wall Street, and Splash.
‘I was a little odd and incredibly introverted and withdrawn when I was young,’ said Hannah.
She didn’t let her autism hold her back, and after struggling in school, she went on to become a successful actress in Hollywood and a proud member of the autism community, demonstrating that autism isn’t a barrier to success.
2. Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd, an American-Canadian actor born on July 1, 1952, rose to prominence in the 1970s on the comedy show Saturday Night Live. He later appeared in The Blue Brothers and Ghostbusters.
In 2004, he revealed to NPR host Terry Gross that he had Tourette syndrome as well as Asperger syndrome.
‘I was diagnosed with Tourette’s at 12. I had physical tics, nervousness and made grunting noises and it affected how outgoing I was and had therapy which really worked and by 14 my symptoms eased,’ Aykroyd said.
His Asperger’s syndrome was discovered later in life when his wife encouraged him to see a doctor about his obsessions.
One of my symptoms included my obsession with ghosts and law enforcement — I carry around a police badge with me, for example. I became obsessed by Hans Holzer, the greatest ghost hunter ever. That’s when the idea of my film Ghostbusters was born,’ Aykroyd added.
So, without autism, there would have been no Ghostbusters!
3. Courtney Love
Courtney Love, a singer, songwriter, and actress, was a member of the punk and grunge scene in the 1990s. She rose to prominence as the lead singer of the band Hole. She was also well-known for her personal life as Kurt Cobain’s wife.
A therapist diagnosed Love with autism when she was nine years old. She was expelled from school and arrested for shoplifting due to her bad behavior.
‘When I talk about being introverted, I was diagnosed autistic. At an early age, I would not speak. Then I simply bloomed,’ Love said.
Love has remade herself as a fashion designer and actress today.
4. Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle’s unassuming demeanor hid an incredible voice when she took the stage of Britain’s Got Talent in 2008. When the series premiered in April 2009, an astounding 10 million people tuned in to watch her sing I Dreamed a Dream and Boyle rose to prominence.
She was born on April 1, 1961, in Scotland, and the youngest of four brothers and five sisters. She was raised to believe that she had suffered from a lack of oxygen during birth and had a mild learning disability.
However, in 2012, she was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and a higher-than-average IQ.
‘I went to seek a diagnosis from a Scottish specialist,’ Boyle said. ‘Nobody told me to. I thought I had a more serious illness and couldn’t function properly.’
Boyle went on to say that her diagnosis did not define or limit her. ‘It will not make any difference to my life. It’s just a condition that I have to live with and work through.’
5. Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a physicist who developed the relativity theory. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 “for his services to theoretical physics, particularly for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect.”
Born on March 14, 1879, in Germany, he struggled with language development but excelled at math and physics from an early age. By 1908, he had established himself as a leading scientist and was teaching at the University of Bern. He moved to the United States in 1933 and became one of the world’s most powerful people.
In 2015, researchers at Ohio State University confirmed a possible chromosomal link between genius and autism, and Albert Einstein is thought to have displayed many of the obsessive behaviors of someone with Asperger syndrome.
6. Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld is a stand-up comedian, actor, producer, and director best known for playing a semi-fictionalized version of himself in the show Seinfeld, which he created and co-wrote with Larry David.
Seinfeld, who was born on April 29, 1954, is one of the world’s richest comedians, with an estimated net worth of $950 million.
In 2014, he told Brian Williamson on Thursday’s Nightly News that he was on the autism spectrum and thought he had a mild form of the syndrome.
‘I’m very literal. When people talk to me and they use expressions, sometimes I don’t know what they’re saying. But I don’t see it as dysfunctional. I just think of it as an alternate mindset,’ Seinfeld explained.Â
You Might be Like: Top 10 Most Expensive Clothing Brands In The World
