Asperger's Syndrome

[Kysenia]

There are many very influencial and famous people in the world that have this as well.

[abuja]

There are many very influencial and famous people in the world that have this as well.

Just to name a few!


* Jane Austen, 1775-1817, English novelist, author of Pride and Prejudice
* Béla Bartók, 1881-1945, Hungarian composer
* Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770-1827, German/Viennese composer
* Alexander Graham Bell, 1847-1922, Scottish/Canadian/American inventor of the telephone
* Anton Bruckner, 1824-1896, Austrian composer
* Henry Cavendish, 1731-1810, English/French scientist, discovered the composition of air and water
* Emily ****inson, 1830-1886, US poet
* Thomas Edison, 1847-1931, US inventor
* Albert Einstein, 1879-1955, German/American theoretical physicist
* Henry Ford, 1863-1947, US industrialist
* Benjamin Franklin,1706-1790, US polictician/writer
* Kaspar Hauser, c1812-1833, German foundling, portrayed in a film by Werner Herzog
* Oliver Heaviside, 1850-1925, English physicist
* Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826, US politician
* Carl Jung, 1875-1961, Swiss psychoanalyst
* Franz Kafka, 1883-1924, Czech writer
* Wasily Kandinsky, 1866-1944, Russian/French painter
* Abraham Lincoln,1809-1865, US Politician
* H P Lovecraft, 1890-1937, US writer
* Ludwig II, 1845-1886, King of Bavaria
* Charles Rennie Mackintosh, 1868-1928, Scottish architect and designer
* Gustav Mahler, 1860-1911, Czech/Austrian composer
* Marilyn Monroe, 1926-1962, US actress
* Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756-1791, Austrian composer
* Isaac Newton, 1642-1727, English mathematician and physicist
* Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844-1900, German philosopher
* Bertrand Russell, 1872-1970, British logician
* George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Irish playwright, writer of Pygmalion, critic and Socialist
* Richard Strauss, 1864-1949, German composer
* Nikola Tesla, 1856-1943, Serbian/American scientist, engineer, inventor of electric motors
* Henry Thoreau, 1817-1862, US writer
* Alan Turing, 1912-1954, English mathematician, computer scientist and cryptographer
* Mark Twain, 1835-1910, US humorist
* Vincent Van Gogh, 1853-1890, Dutch painter
* Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519, Italian Painter,Scientist
* George Washington, 1732-1799, US Politician
* Ludwig Wittgenstein, 1889-1951, Viennese/English logician and philosopher
* Virginia Woolf, 1882-1941, English Writer

Historical people prominent in the late twentieth century (died after 1975)

* Isaac Asimov, 1920-1992, Russian/US writer on science and of science fiction, author of Bicentennial Man
* Hans Asperger, 1906-1980, Austrian paediatric doctor after whom Asperger's Syndrom is named
* John Denver, 1943-1997, US musician
* Glenn Gould, 1932-1982, Canadian pianist
* Jim Henson, 1936-1990, creator of the Muppets, US puppeteer, writer, producer, director, composer
* Alfred Hitchcock, 1899-1980, English/American film director
* Howard Hughes, 1905-1976, US billionaire
* Michael Jackson, 1958-2009, US singer
* Andy Kaufman, 1949-1984, US comedian, subject of the film Man on the Moon
* L S Lowry, 1887-1976, English painter of "matchstick men"
* Elvis Presley, 1935-1977, US musician
* Charles Schulz, 1922-2000, US cartoonist and creator of Peanuts and Charlie Brown
* Andy Warhol, 1928-1987, US artist

Contemporary famous people

* Woody Allen, 1935-, US comedian, actor, writer, director, producer, jazz clarinettist
* Tony Benn, 1925-, English Labour politician
* Pip Brown "Ladyhawke", 1979-, New Zealand Singer/Songwriter, Musician
* Charles ****inson, 1951, US Writer
* Bob Dylan, 1941-, US singer-songwriter
* Joseph Erber, 1985-, young English composer/musician who has Asperger's Syndrome, subject of a BBC TV documentary
* Bobby Fischer, 1943-, US chess champion
* Bill Gates, 1955-, US global monopolist
* Genie, 1957-?, US "wild child" (see also L'Enfant Sauvage, Victor, )
* Crispin Glover, 1964-, US actor
* Al Gore, 1948-, former US Vice President and presidential candidate
* Jeff Greenfield, 1943-, US political analyst/speechwriter, a political wonk
* David Helfgott, 1947-, Australian pianist, subject of the film Shine
* Garrison Keillor, 1942-, US writer, humorist and host of Prairie Home Companion
* Paul Kostabi 1962-, writer, comedian, artist, producer, technician
* Kevin Mitnick, 1963-, US "hacker"
* John Motson, 1945-, English sports commentator
* John Nash, 1928-, US mathematician (portrayed by Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind, USA 2001)
* Keith Olbermann, 1959-, US sportscaster
* Michael Palin, 1943-, English comedian and presenter
* Keanu Reeves, 1964-, Lebanese/Canadian/US actor
* Oliver Sacks, 1933-, UK/US neurologist, author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Awakenings
* James Taylor, 1948-, US singer/songwriter
* Robin Williams, 1951-, US Actor

[WingedWolfPsion]

Well, most of that list is speculative, of course. Unless people have an actual diagnosis, it's merely a guess. In some cases a good guess, but still a guess.

[BPelizabeth]

I have worked with a child for 2 years now with it. You just learn their boundries and what sets them off. His Mom is a good friend of mine....she has a saying...."Im either laughin or cryin".

The person that stated a lot of ppl with this become very successful is exactly correct! Look how detailed pokeymon is....the person that created it has this as well.

My son is friends with this child and gets along fine with him. Kids tend to understand that not everyone is the same...some things set some off...some set others off. Wish I could say that for some adults. It saddens me when ppl ask me why I let my son go to his house. I hear aren't you afraid he is going to hurt him. UGH...makes me very angry and sad all at the same time. Wish adults would be more like children in this aspect....accepting!!

[dsirkle]

I have a cousin diagnosed with Asperger's.There is an undiagnosed strain of it in my family. It's nothing more than a mild case of autism. Mild enough that the person should be able to live a normal life, to work, marry, have children etc. The strength of Asperger's is that the person can think and reason more objectively without being unduly influenced by emotion and to be able to concentrate very deeply on something. The weakness is that understanding nonverbal communication such as body language and polite indirect hints that is intuitive to others must be learned either by instruction or painful trial and error. The tendency to avoid eye contact will attract bullies unless overcome. There is a somewhat interesting article that can be found on the internet about how not to attract bullies that was written by a famous author that posts on this site.

[iCandiBallPythons]

I have a cousin diagnosed with Asperger's.There is an undiagnosed strain of it in my family. It's nothing more than a mild case of autism. Mild enough that the person should be able to live a normal life, to work, marry, have children etc. The strength of Asperger's is that the person can think and reason more objectively without being unduly influenced by emotion and to be able to concentrate very deeply on something. The weakness is that understanding nonverbal communication such as body language and polite indirect hints that is intuitive to others must be learned either by instruction or painful trial and error. The tendency to avoid eye contact will attract bullies unless overcome. There is a somewhat interesting article that can be found on the internet about how not to attract bullies that was written by a famous author that posts on this site.

You have to understand that Aspergers is not as cut and dry as alot of people may think. It is a very very broad spectrum, and we are all very different. I don't believe that there can be a "status queue." Aspergers, just because one may have a particular trait doesn't mean the next 5 in line will have the same exact trait. The spectrum can vary greatly from person to person. For example, with what you spoke about "the weakness" part of your post, I always make direct eye contact with someone, and I understand non verbal communication extremely well. Also Autism and Aspergers, contrary to popular belief are 2 different worlds.

[p3titexburial]

Yup, autism, pddnos, and aspergers are related, but different enough that they are categorized on their own. I'm a psych major and we have classes exclusively on the topic of autism and related illnesses, and the only sure thing about it is that it really is an extremely broad spectrum. So much that many psychologists think that most, if not everyone, exhibits to a certain extent the symptoms that are described for aspergers, the only difference being severity and how much it affects one's life. A psychological issue doesn't become an issue until it negatively impacts a person's quality of life.

i.e. a phobia of flying isn't an issue that needs treatment for someone who doesn't travel, but it is if the person needs it for work. Or, if someone is petrified of clowns, the only time it may matter is if they work for the circus.

The criteria for it is also very broad, and just because someone diagnosed has one symptom doesn't mean he/she will necessarily have another. It makes it very difficult to distinguish normal behavior from ones related to aspergers--for example, if someone have problems understanding metaphors or sarcasm, but are extremely social (yet slightly awkward,) and though he/she exhibits some fixation on certain topics, he/she is able to hold great conversation on others, they may be clumsy meeting new people, but don't lack the motivation to do so--some psychologists may diagnose this is aspergers, some may not.

We may think this is normal behavior because who hasn't been in that awkward stage where you're clumsy in everything you do and catch onto things a bit slow? Who doesn't have certain topics that are loved and just a bit obsessed over? Then again, if it causes issues in their relationships and affect the general well being of their lives, then it might become necessary to seek help for it.

Then you have some who have more severe symptoms, like having difficulty empathizing with others, may appear insensitive, have repetitive movements, fixate or obsess over a topic, and have issues understanding figurative speech--but what of it? They may still be social, have friends, and live through life undiagnosed but happy, and as it has been shown over and over again, the majority are also incredibly smart and intellectual.

Sometimes we're too much in a hurry to categorize and place a name on things, we forget that it may not be as severe as it may seem. A diagnosis isn't something to be sad or unhappy or feel stigmatized about, rather it simply sheds light on how to cope with it better. If you're someone who other people think is insensitive because certain behaviors don't come intuitively to you, it gives you a chance to be aware of it and correct it when you can.

Like everyone else said, they might appear a little quirky, but hey, that's character.

[dsirkle]

You have to understand that Aspergers is not as cut and dry as alot of people may think. It is a very very broad spectrum, and we are all very different. I don't believe that there can be a "status queue." Aspergers, just because one may have a particular trait doesn't mean the next 5 in line will have the same exact trait. The spectrum can vary greatly from person to person. For example, with what you spoke about "the weakness" part of your post, I always make direct eye contact with someone, and I understand non verbal communication extremely well. Also Autism and Aspergers, contrary to popular belief are 2 different worlds.

Asperger's syndrome is no more than a title, can't be determined by science and therefore can't be cut and dried. But the fact remains that Hans Asperger coined this term in 1944 when he identified a strata of what at that time was considered the Autistic Spectrum and he wanted to separate it because of the lesser severity of symptoms and the expectation that these children could lead normal lives in comparison the typical autistic child. The traits that I mentioned are the typical identifying traits along with ticks of varying kinds. The traits usually are found in varying degrees within family groups and appears to be genetic. It runs in my family and I have some of the traits. If you think that are in a position to lecture me on the subject after I have read about it, observed it and lived it for 57 years go right ahead. As skiploader noted a peculiar sense of humor is also a trait.

[WingedWolfPsion]

For example, with what you spoke about "the weakness" part of your post, I always make direct eye contact with someone, and I understand non verbal communication extremely well. Also Autism and Aspergers, contrary to popular belief are 2 different worlds.

It is my understanding that a deficiency in inherent social skills is part of the defining characteristics of Autism/Asperger's. This is not to say that persons with these conditions cannot learn to read body language, or make eye contact--just that it does not come naturally. If a person does appear to engage in non-verbal communication, understand it, and make eye contact normally without training themselves, I would actually suspect a misdiagnosis of Asperger's.

For my part, I use eye contact to assure others of my sincerity, since they seem to require that--or to dominate them. <lol> I have an easier time understanding animal body language than human body language, but I have learned a few things to look for over the years. I still think most humans behave in an irrational manner, and while I've come to expect many things, and understand why they do it, it's like understanding animal behaviors--I wouldn't do such a thing myself, and don't see why they can't override their impulses with logic.