So, we’ve talked about what autism is in this article, and the early signs of autism in this one. It’s certainly true that autism comes with its own set of challenges. However, there are many famous autistic people in history who have gone on to make their mark – simply because of the unique strengths of ASD traits.
ONE Intervention has compiled this list of 6 famous autistic people in honour of these amazing people. They might surprise you! These people come from all walks of life: We’ve got scientists, poets and even one political activist. Some of these famous autistic people are historical features and others are still with us today, contributing great things towards our society.
Excited to learn more about them? Great! Without further ado, read on to find out more about these 6 famous autistic people.
Dr Temple Grandin
Dr Temple Grandin is an acclaimed American academic best known for her work on animal behaviour. Currently, she’s a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. She’s best known for her work on a humane livestock restraint system now used on nearly half the cattle in the United States.
She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, as well as masters and doctoral degrees in animal science. Dr Temple Grandin also is an outspoken advocate for people with autism and has written several books on the subject. This includes her work The Autistic Brain, which presents three specialised types of thinking – photo realistic visual thinkers, math/pattern thinkers and word thinkers.
You can find out more about her work on this website here!
Greta Thunberg
Greta Thunberg is an environmental activist, born in Stockholm, Sweden in 2003. Her passion for the environment has led her to organise the School Strikes For Climates in 2018, which have since gained popularity with teens worldwide. Today, they are known as #FridaysfortheFuture strikes, where teens skip school on Fridays in protest of climate change.
She’s best known for her rallying speech at the 2019 United Nations Climate Action Summit, where she called out world leaders for their inaction against climate change. Since then, Greta Thunberg has inspired countless others to fight climate change in their own ways. She continues to advocate for environmental causes.
Greta has also been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome – a developmental disorder that’s part of the Autistic Spectrum Disorder. She claims that this is her ‘superpower’ which helps her to see the world in black and white, and that ‘there are no grey areas in climate change.’
Sia
Sia is a famous singer-songwriter, best known for her sensational hits Titanium and Cheap Thrills. She’s received an array of accolades, including ARIA Awards and NRJ Awards, as well as nine Grammy Nominations.
When she received her diagnosis in 2023, Sia related her experience as an autistic person over a podcast. She said, “I’ve felt like, for 45 years, I was like, ‘I’ve got to go put my human suit on’ and only in the last two years have I become fully myself.”
Sia’s description is similar to what many people describe as autistic masking. This is a strategy that autistic people use in order to ‘fit in’ with neurotypical people, in order to avoid the bullying and stigma associated with being autistic.
Her speaking openly about this encourages other neurodivergent people to feel less pressure to conform, and educates other neurotypicals about autism as well.
Sir Anthony Hopkins
It’s often thought that people with autism are more inclined towards science and math subjects, rather than the arts. And since it’s known that autistic people face more challenges in terms of social interaction and communication, one might think that an actor isn’t the best choice of career for an autistic person. However, Sir Anthony Hopkins proves that assumption to be blatantly wrong.
Sir Anthony Hopkins is a Welsh actor, and is in fact one of the most recognisable and prolific actors. One of his most famous roles is Hannibal Lecter – the cannibalistic serial killer in The Silence Of The Lambs. In 1993, he received knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II for his services to drama.
Sir Anthony Hopkins received his diagnosis of Asperger’s in his 70s. Since then, his openness with the diagnosis has inspired many others and given valuable insights into the life of those with Asperger’s.
Henry Cavendish
Henry Cavendish is one of the most famous scientists in history. He was born in 1793 in France, and best known for his discovery of the first element of the Periodic Table: Hydrogen. He termed this as ‘flammable air.’
During his lifetime, he published 16 papers in Philosophical Transactions, the esteemed journal of the Royal Society. He also received a variety of awards and recognitions for his contributions to science.
While there was not enough information about autism for him to be formally diagnosed at that time, it’s now widely believed that Henry Canvendish was on the autism spectrum. He was said to be an extremely shy man, unwilling to talk to strangers, and keeping to a strict routine of scientific meetings and experimentation. Despite being wealthy (he was the grandson of a duke), he insisted on wearing the same outfit and dressing in the same style for most of his life.
More of his life and his other scientific achievements can be read here.
Emily Dickinson
This famous American poet contributed much to our literary canon during her lifetime. She’s best known for her poem ‘Hope Is The Thing With Feathers’ and has written a stunning total of 1800 poems in her lifetime. Her work delves deep into themes of pain, grief, love and joy, in her bold and original verse.
Emily Dickinson also had several queer habits. She preferred to wear white most of the time, and was extremely reclusive. She refused to go downstairs, even to greet her guests, and would only hold conversations through her bedroom door. Moreover, most of her poetry was kept secret during her lifetime since they did not follow the traditional verse or rhyme scheme.
Like Henry Cavendish, it’s impossible for Emily Dickinson to be formally diagnosed during her lifetime. However, many experts believe that she was in fact on the autism spectrum. She continues to remain a literary inspiration and her work is still taught in many classrooms today.
There we have it: 6 Famous Autistic People: Bet You Didn’t Know That! Are there any other famous autistic people you look up to? Did we miss anyone out? Well, drop us a comment below – we’d love to hear from you! 💬👇
