Category Archives: Society

People with ASD can sometimes be seen as less able to succeed based on their difficulties with socialization and other stressors in our neurotypical world. However, autistic people are just as capable of achieving great things, especially because of their enhanced ability to focus, higher than average IQ (16% above 130 IQ compared to 2.3% of neurotypicals), and tendency to form special interests. What better way to prove this idea than to list some very successful, well-known autistics? Here are five famous autistic individuals who you probably know, but perhaps did not know were autistic.

Albert Einstein

• Now, let me be completely honest, Einstein was never actually diagnosed with ASD. However, his difficulties with socializing, echolalia (repeating sentences to oneself), and obsession with science and mathematics have led many experts to agree that it is at least very likely he was on the spectrum.

Emily Dickinson

• Not only was Dickinson an extremely talented and intelligent writer, but she also had a strange fascination with scented flowers. And as some of you may know, she was very reclusive and seemingly uninterested/unable to enjoy socializing. With this in mind, although she was never diagnosed, Dickinson seems like a clear case of ASD.

Temple Grandin

• Grandin, for those who don’t know, is a famous author and professor who has used her experience with autism to fund her professional work with animals. One of her main accomplishments has been finding ways in which to counter stress in both animal and human populations. Basically, she has helped advocate for and find solutions surrounding the humane treatment of animals for slaughter. She was also unable to speak until the age of 3, and was nearly institutionalized for her difficulties with autism. However, as you can see, she is a perfect example of what autistic individuals are capable of if given the chance.

Dan Aykroyd

• Having ASD, Aykroyd got into a lot of trouble in school and was even expelled twice, but with his autism-fueled special interest in the paranormal, he later went on to create and star in Ghostbusters, a supernatural comedy film franchise from the 1980s. This movie was one of my all-time favorites as a child, and if you ask me, knowing that the creator of it is autistic is a real nice bonus.

Anthony Hopkins

• Yet another actor on this list is Sir Anthony Hopkins, who came out with his autism diagnosis in 2017, decades after already accomplishing so much as an actor, film producer, and film director. According to Hopkins, “I was a bit slow as a school kid, and so I made up for it by working hard, and I became, you know, a successful actor. Obsessiveness about the details.” As someone as successful as he is, it is tremendous that he was open about his diagnosis, as it further shows how capable autistic people are at leading purposeful and outstanding lives.

In the last decade, I have watched several TV shows that depict one or more characters with autism. Some of my favorites are Bones, Atypical, The Big Bang Theory, and The Good Doctor. Then, of course, there are so many others that I have not yet watched, such as Everything’s Gonna be Okay, The A Word, and Community. As far as the shows that I am familiar with go, there are both positive and negative aspects in these autistic portrayals that I believe are crucial to discuss.

One of the biggest criticisms of autistic characters on TV in general is that they are often full of stereotypes. For instance, Shaun Murphy is a savant in medicine, Sheldon Cooper in physics, and Temperance in forensic anthropology. While it is true that autistics are often very passionate about a certain interest or interests, it is definitely not true that most of us are gifted, and especially not on the savant level. In fact, only around 10% of autistic people are considered savants, leaving the other 90% without equal representation. Although, I have to admit, it is better than suggesting that all autistic people are intellectually disabled, non-communicative, and completely dependent on others as television used to imply.

Another common mistake I’ve seen in some of these shows is the use of the autistic character as a prop rather than another person. In other words, it seems that autistic characters are sometimes written to show the audience how autism affects OTHERS, not the autistic person themself. I have read several articles of other neurodiverse people expressing the same concern, that the internal struggles and emotions of these autistic characters are often ignored, and instead, the way that their autism helps other people grow and learn is the focus. In my opinion, we need more films that allow the audience to really be put into the shoes of an autistic person, not the shoes of those around them.

On the other hand, something these films do tend to get right is the pattern of autistic people being extremely driven. One of the most common strengths of autistic people is their increased ability to be focused, determined, and able to succeed in more competitive fields. While not all autistic people have the exact same ability to hyperfocus like these characters do, it is still a much more truthful and reasonable depiction.

Overall, I do expect the portrayal of autistic people on TV to continue to improve over time as more and more acceptance and awareness is spread. Aside from the stereotypes and infantilization, these shows also seem to keep picking white or male characters for their role, unfortunately perpetuating the idea that autism “looks a certain way.” Since autism DOES look different depending on the person’s gender, it is especially vital that more female roles are given. This is something I also look forward to seeing change over time, especially because it will help ALL autistic audience members see themselves finally represented.

As I have mentioned before, autism, according to most psychologists nowadays, is actually just another variation of the human brain, known as a neurotype. Because the structure of their brain is different, it is reasonable that different strengths and weaknesses will be present, or more likely, in those with autism. However, in the current version of the DSM, the diagnosis for autism still focuses solely on the weaknesses autistic people are more likely to have. Even worse, some of the “deficits” they list aren’t actually flaws, and are really just seen as such because the majority of the world cannot relate. While we wait for the DSM to change their perspective on ASD, many ASD advocates and allies have come to the rescue with something called “allism.” Allism is essentially a parody to autism, as in, it is the hypothetical condition that neurotypical people would be diagnosed with if they were the minority. If you have never skimmed through the diagnostic criteria for autism, I suggest you do that first, which will be in the first link. In the second link, the diagnostic criteria for allism is described.

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/hcp-dsm.html

https://psychcentral.com/blog/aspie/2018/09/allism-spectrum-disorders-a-parody

The purpose of the parody is to better show allistic (non-autistic) people how absurd it is that our perfectly healthy traits and behaviors are so badly pathologized, even in the Western world. Although everything described in the DSM is true of autistic people, the traits are described in an exclusively negative light, such as with the repetitive use of the word “deficit.” Additionally, not every autistic person experiences these differences so extremely as described, meaning that the DSM does not represent the true spectrum of experiences autistics can have.

 Similarly, with the allism description, traits of those with allism are described with negative diction and undertones, and any possible positive aspects of allism are completely left out. As I hope we can all agree, this is quite unfair, no matter which neurotype it affects. In order to allow autistics to live their truth, we must stop pathologizing their existence and accept them for what they are: imperfect people, just like everyone else, who come with their own unique set of assets and flaws.

Oh, and one more thing. Considering how autism is not a bad or inferior thing, I just wanted to include my input on the “autistic person” vs. “person with autism” debate. Everyone has their preferences, but according to many studies I have read at least, it seems that most autistic people prefer the former. What does it matter what order the words go in, anyway? The idea that the two options have imaginary deeper meanings is definitely quite allistic….. lol. But for those that do insist on a deeper meaning between the two, consider this perspective instead:

And don’t forget that every autistic person prefers different language, and if you’re unsure, it never hurts to ask.

If ASD is just another neurological variation in our species and not a disorder, then why is life often much more difficult for those affected by it? Taking away the societal aspects which negatively affect those with ASD, there is still a much higher prevalence of intellectual disability within the community. This fact has been brought up several times by people who believe we should continue the search for a “cure” for autism, since it is, apparently, inherently more detrimental than being neurotypical.

However, the connection between autism and intellectual disability is not so clear. More and more research is showing that perhaps being autistic does not raise an individual’s chances of being intellectually disabled, or vice versa.

As Emily Sohn from Spectrum News explains, there are several factors which have led scientists and society to associate intellectual disability with ASD.

“Parents may seek an autism diagnosis because services are often easier to access for that condition than for intellectual disability — or require an autism diagnosis to access at all.”

In other words, people with intellectual disability can often be misdiagnosed with autism for easier access to the resources they need for their condition, which is quite unfortunate.

Another factor to consider is how often those with intellectual disability also struggle in areas of communication, making them harder to distinguish between those with autism. Additionally, Sohn describes how many parents prefer to look for an autism diagnosis because having autism can sometimes be less stigmatizing than having an intellectual disability, also contributing to the number of misdiagnoses.

On the other hand, there are also many autistic individuals who are misdiagnosed with intellectual disability. When a child seems less socially aware, is less talkative, or does not talk at all, it is not rare for psychologists to sometimes make assumptions about the intelligence of the child. It can also sometimes be more difficult to find the IQ of an individual who has communication differences or sensory difficulties, as those with autism often do. As one interviewee from Sohn’s article states, “We’re weird, there’s no denying that. But there’s a difference between being different and straight up not understanding things.”

Considering both of these patterns psychologists have recently become aware of, it is no wonder that the incidence of intellectual disability is more common among those with ASD. Luckily, since this issue has been studied more and more in recent years, the rate of this dual diagnosis has gone down substantially. In the 1980’s, the percentages of those with ASD and mental retardation (now called intellectual disability) was around 70%, whereas by 2014, that number has gone down to 30%.

One more thing you may be thinking is, what if autism and intellectual disability really are connected, biologically? While it is certainly a possibility, there has been no definitive evidence thus far that the two are connected. Some studies have shown that certain rare genetic mutations are linked to both autism and intellectual disability, but only in the case of conditions such as Fragile X syndrome and Phelan-McDermid syndrome. Other studies predict autism and intellectual disability have very little genetic connection considering the current evidence suggesting intellectual disability more often has to do with genetic deletions, and autism more often has to do with genetic duplications. Overall, the science surrounding the subject is not clear enough for us to make any conclusions.

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with being intellectually disabled, autistic, or both, it can be quite destructive when the diagnoses for those affected are not correct.

Treatment and accommodations for those with autism and intellectual disability can look very different, and in order for people of either condition to get the help they need, we have to continue to find the distinction between the two.

Spectrum News Article:

https://www.spectrumnews.org/features/deep-dive/the-blurred-line-between-autism-and-intellectual-disability/