Impactful People on The Autism Spectrum

By: Katie Czarnik & Janelle Schenk, LLMSW

By: Katie Czarnik & Janelle Schenk, LLMSW

Satoshi grew up in rural Japan and he loved collecting bugs in the nearby mountains. He loved collecting bugs so much he eventually combined his love of collecting with his love of game design. You may not have heard about Satoshi Tajiri but you have most likely heard of the largest multi-media company he created, Pokemon. Tajiri and many others are awesome people who are autistic and have done impactful things!

History of Autism

Autism is a neurological difference that is characterized by social, and communication, challenges and repetitive behaviors. Leo Kanner was the first to diagnose Autism in 1943 and since then, Autism has gone through many iterations and name changes. Today we know it as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which encompasses the previous diagnoses of Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder. Because of these changes, many historic figures may have been Autisic and undiagnosed.

Temple Grandin Ph.D

Dr. Temple Grandin is one of the first autistic advocates to talk about her own experiences living with Autism. Dr. Grandin is currently a professor of Autism and Animal Science at Colorado University. Dr. Grandin has written many books about Autism that highlight her own personal experiences. She began her work in animal science where she studied cows. Because of her work she has revolutionized the cattle industry and over half of all cattle facilities in the United States were designed by her! As one of the first Autism advocates she began using the phrase “Different, Not Less”

Satoshi Tajiri

As written above, Satoshi is the creator of Pokemon. He was inspired by the creation of Nintendo’s gameboy and created an idea for a game where people could play, trade, fight and catch animals. He attributes the theme of the game to his interest in bug collecting in childhood. When he was just 18 he began a successful game magazine called Game Freak, which is now a large game development company. His original magazine featured tips and tricks on how to get high scores in the local arcade. Pokemon failed many times early on, but Tajiri never gave up! Pokemon is now the highest grossing multi-media platform in history.

Greta Thunberg

Greta is 16 years old and she has already taken on the world’s biggest leaders. Greta is a climate change activist. She has spoken at multiple conferences and climate change events. She has spoken in Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. She began her advocacy when she decided to strike outside of the Swedish parliament with a sign that read “School Strike for Climate.” She began alone and was slowly joined by other students and citizens. She was featured in the documentary “I am Greta” in 2020 and she is currently writing a book. Another cool fact is that when Greta was 8 she became vegan and swore off airplane travel as these industries are two of the biggest polluters.

Armani Williams

Armani is a local 21-year-old NASCAR driver from Detroit. He began racing when he was 17 and today he is a professional stock car driver currently competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Armani is one of only three Black NASCAR drivers. As a kid he loved hot wheels, and began racing in go-karts at age 8. Armani currently attends Oakland University and is getting his degree in mechanical engineering!

Jackson Tucker-Meyer

Jackson is a local Autistic playwright, screenwriter, theatre artist, and filmmaker. He writes plays about themes he wishes he saw as a kid and his goal is to leave “audiences more accepting of difference and otherness.” His work has been showcased in the Museum of the Moving Image Marvels of Media Awards for his award winning film about his Autism.

Mozart

Mozart lived from 1756-1791. He was born long before Autism was diagnosed and understood. However, reports of Mozart and historians say he may have been Autistic! He had significant social impairments and he had stereotyped and repetitive movements. He was highly sensitive to noise, and often was described as, “physically ill after hearing loud sounds” – a similarity to people who have sensory differences. It was also documented that he had difficulty explaining his emotions. As we know he also had an intense interest in piano and music.

Einstein

Einstein was born in 1879 and died in 1955, meaning when he was born, ASD as we understand it today did not exist. There is much speculation that he was on the Autism spectrum. Reports of Einstein say he did not speak until age 2-4 and often when he did it was repetitive and seemed scripted. He excelled in math and science and often fixated on these topics. He reported finding social interaction difficult and described the way his brain works as seeing “pictures” similar to Dr. Temple Grandin’s description of her brain.

Awesome ASD

So many more people with ASD are making huge impacts on society. Some more Awesome people with ASD are: Dan Aykroyd – Actor and Writer of Ghostbusters; Darryl Hannah – Actor and Environmental activist; Elon Musk – inventor, billionaire, etc.; Chloe Hayden – Actress and Autism Advocate; Susan Boyle – Singer; Kayla Cromer – Actress; and Stephen Wiltshire – Cityscape Artist.

Many more historic figures may have been on the spectrum, according to historians’ and biographers’ reports: Hans Christian Andersen, Lewis Carroll, Michelangelo, Sir Isaac Newton, and Emily Dickinson.

There are so many more! Adults with Autism are constantly making their impact!

References

Iannelli, V. (2020) A History and Timeline of Autism Verywell Health 2022 Dotdash Media, Inc

Eldred-Cohen, C.,(2021) How Satoshi Tajiri’s Autism Helped Create Pokemon. THE ART OF AUTISM.

Somers, K. (2020) Armani Williams, NASCAR driver with autism, races to win and raise awareness. azcentral

Williams, A., (2021).Team Armani Racing. Profile.

Moore, C., Lloyd W.C.,(2021) 7 Famous People With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Healthgrades Marketplace, LLC

Solomon M. Mozart. A life, 1995. Italian Edition. Milano: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, 1st Oscar Edition, 1996, p.10.

Ashoori, A, Jankovic, J. Mozart’s movements and behaviour: A case of Tourette’ syndrome? Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry 2007; 78: 1171–1175.

James I. (2003). Singular scientists. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 96(1), 36–39. https://doi.org/10.1258/jrsm.96.1.36

The Art of Autism (2022). 30 Black Autistic People You May Want To Know About. The Art of Autism. EMPOWERING THROUGH THE ARTS.

Kraemer D. (2021) Greta Thunberg: Who is the climate campaigner and what are her aims? BBC News. 2021

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