Faces of Autism
Recently, I have been researching information about autism. I grew up knowing a family with a severely autistic sibling. He can't speak and must use sign language to communicate. He would sit in church and twirl his tie and stare at it during the service. I also had a neighbour with identical twins that were severely autistic. I could hear them in their yard making animal noises while they played. I had the privilege of meeting Tony Deblois, a blind autistic savant with a talent for music. He spent a lot of time "stimming" and was difficult to talk with, but he could play the piano like Liberace. Those people I knew of were the classic autistics that we often think about when we think of people with autism.
I was surprised to learn about the diversity of people with autistic traits. There is an autism spectrum with people who can mostly function well in society, even if they have their setbacks.
There are people with Asperger's Syndrome, High-functioning autism, dyspraxia, and other autism spectral disorders who mostly function normally. In order to be diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome or high-functioning autism, the individual must have an I.Q. of at least 85, which is a low normal. Many people on the autism spectrum can have above-average intelligence.
What I found to be most interesting is the number of famous people who have had autistic traits. Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Bobby Fischer, Andy Warhol, Alan Turing, Carl Jung, and more. I already knew Einstein didn't speak until he was four. There is no reason that autistic people have to be very impaired. There is a term called "neurodiversity" that promotes acceptance of the different ways people are "wired".
There is some debate on the famous people suspected to have had an autism spectral disorder, because most of them are dead now and experts have conflicting ideas on whether or not they were on the autism spectrum.
I was surprised to learn about the diversity of people with autistic traits. There is an autism spectrum with people who can mostly function well in society, even if they have their setbacks.
There are people with Asperger's Syndrome, High-functioning autism, dyspraxia, and other autism spectral disorders who mostly function normally. In order to be diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome or high-functioning autism, the individual must have an I.Q. of at least 85, which is a low normal. Many people on the autism spectrum can have above-average intelligence.
What I found to be most interesting is the number of famous people who have had autistic traits. Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Bobby Fischer, Andy Warhol, Alan Turing, Carl Jung, and more. I already knew Einstein didn't speak until he was four. There is no reason that autistic people have to be very impaired. There is a term called "neurodiversity" that promotes acceptance of the different ways people are "wired".
There is some debate on the famous people suspected to have had an autism spectral disorder, because most of them are dead now and experts have conflicting ideas on whether or not they were on the autism spectrum.
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