Too often the news is filled with something bad happening to someone with autism. Or you read a study on the multitude of issues we face. However, the negative factors of autism are often the only thing associated with autism. It is always, “you poor thing!” or “I’m so sorry,” as if it is something to be pitied. There are many issues we face and barriers to break but as this month is awareness, I want to focus on the positives too! We can, and have, done amazing things that our autism can even enhance. We have always been here.
A side note: The first person to be diagnosed with autism is still alive and I will talk about many figures well past this time. As it is now, autism does not rely on a diagnosis and these people were well documented to be given a diagnosis in today's time. These are technically speculative, but it is something dedicated researchers have put time and effort into, so it is more like a study.
We often succeed in two different areas: science and art. Some of it can be attributed to symptoms/traits, like special interests, keen attention, focus on individuality, etc. Or we are simply talented. Either way, our gifts have influenced and changed the world in impactful ways.
In the art category, there is one of the most famous painters known to exist: Michelangelo. Michelangelo was non-expressive with emotion, focused on his interests (art mainly), and had a wild personality. Some of his most notable pieces are “The Creation of Adam,” the artwork on the Sistine Chapel, and his sculpture David, along with plenty of others. Many credit him for being one of the most influential artists to have existed. Having autism might have brought him down in some ways, possibly socially, but he still led a fulfilling life that changed the art world to where it is today. In other categories there was Mozart, who could not socialize well and was fixated on his music. He made over 800 works of music and later influenced Wagner and Tchaikovsky. Famous poet William Butler Yeats, an Irish nationalist and modernist, did not keep many relationships and focused on his writing. A modern celebrity example is Adam Young, creator of “Owl City,” is outwardly proud of his autism and made the song “Fireflies.”
Science could not be anywhere close it is today without the autistic scientists that pioneered a multitude of subjects. Newton’s work contributed to the creation of calculus and the understanding of physics. A fixed schedule and focus on his research, psychologists reasoning for his diagnosis, led to these revelations. There’s also Einstein, who has managed to transcend scientific but also a cultural icon. His theorem, E=mc^2, is recognized by many but he revolutionized the understanding of space. Some think he cannot have autism due to his sense of humor but that is a senseless stereotype that has no merit. He can still have the traits, like sticking to himself and divulging into his interests. Today, there is Dr. Vernon Smith, who invented experimental economics, and says his autism allowed progress in his field. He said to MSNBC, ““I do not feel any social pressure to do things the way other people are doing them, professionally. And so, I have been more open to different ways of looking at a lot of the problems in economics.”
It is not easy having autism, most of the time due to other people. However, these figures represent that we can succeed past challenges and thrive. In fact, we can change the world if we choose. So yes, always support and uplift us but we can do plenty on our own.
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