What Autism Can Do

 If you are like me, there must have been some apprehension upon finding your child was diagnosed with autism. There were many questions that went through my head. How do I help my child? Will my child ever be able to function as an independent adult? Will I always have to care for my child? These questions can be daunting and concerning. Since we already know that the spectrum for autism is so expansive, I thought it might be helpful to discuss some successful individuals who are on the spectrum. 

Amadeus Mozart

Mozart was an Austrian composer born January 27, 1756 and was probably the most prolific composer of the classical period. He was a child prodigy with music, possessing a perfect musical memory and an amazing gift for reading music. Mozart was so sensitive to sound that loud noises could make him feel physically sick. 

Mozart suffered from multiple social disorders. He had problems with self control and oftentimes engaged in dangerous behavior. Even his music demonstrated a difficulty with attention as his compositions mirrored his fixation with word repetition. He was reported as having repetitive body movements, repeated facial expressions and a fixation on new things. Although back then, they didn't know what autism was, his issues and social problems are definitely a give away that he was on the autism spectrum.

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was born in 1743 and became the nation's third president. Jefferson was reported to have a sensitivity to loud noises and had some unusual customs, such as the pet mockingbird he kept with him. He was also very uncomfortable with public speaking and had difficulty relating to others. While many of his behaviors are indicative of one on the spectrum, we can only speculate with Jefferson. Most of the documents dating with his early life burnt down with his childhood home in 1770.

Michelangelo

Born Michelangelo Buonarroti Simoni in 1475, he grew to be perhaps one of the greatest artists of history and influenced art of the modern world. It is believed that Michelangelo had high functioning autism or Asperger's Disorder. Evidence of this disorder includes his single mindedness over his work routine, his unusual lifestyle, poor social skills and limited interests. 

Michelangelo suffered from being overly controlling and became easily frustrated when something was beyond his control. He was a loner and often had mood swings, creating difficulty relating to his family and others around him. He had issues participating in a conversation and would often walk away in the middle of one. He was short tempered and sometimes paranoid. All of these symptoms point to autism. 

Bill Gates

Bill Gates is sometimes considered the modern day equivalent of Albert Einstein, who was also believed to be on the spectrum. Bill Gates is the inventor of the Windows computer program and the chief executive of Microsoft. He was born in 1955. During this time, as well as all of the others mentioned, autism wasn't really a thing during that time. While there is no official diagnosis, there is evidence that Bill Gates is also on the spectrum. 

Bill Gates his issues with poor eye contact and socialization skills. His speech is short and monotonous and he has a tendency to rock back and forth when he is concentrating on something. He also has an amazing memory. For these reasons, he is believed to be autistic. 

Satoshi Tajiri

Satoshi Tajiri was born in 1965 and is the creator of the game Pokemon. Tajiri is known to be on the spectrum, however he prefers not to speak about it. He would rather his accomplishments speak for themselves. 

As a child, Tajiri was nicknamed Dr. Bug because he had a great interest in insects. As a teenager, he was very interested in arcade games. These two interests combined helped him create Pokemon. He really enjoyed his bug collection and he wanted to share his interest by giving others a whole new thing to collect. 

Many autistic people tend to have hobbies. Tajiri's hobbies have led him to be one of the most successful people in the world. There isn't much to speak of his symptoms. Only that his dedication to create a new game goes far beyond that of a typical person. It is known that he has Asperger's which puts him on the autism spectrum. 

There are so many others on the spectrum that they cannot all be listed here. If you'd like to read about some of them, you can check out this: https://www.appliedbehavioranalysisprograms.com/historys-30-most-inspiring-people-on-the-autism-spectrum/. 

I know that people tend to dwell on autism as something with lots of difficulties. Autism is not always easy to deal with. However, at least for me, knowing that some of the most influential people in the country and the world were (or are) on the spectrum makes me feel like there is some hope for the future of my autistic son. I hope it has done the same for you. 

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As always, stay positive - Jen