Autism
Autism Assessments for Teens & Adults
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Autism Facts
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains significantly underdiagnosed among adults, causing unnecessary distress. Many adults seek assessment because they feel burnt out and socially exhausted. They find socializing frustrating and confusing, become socially anxious and often struggle with sensory overload. In many cases high intelligence and sophisticated masking strategies lead to delayed diagnoses.
Autism frequently presents with associated conditions. Some studies suggest that 50%-70% of people with autism spectrum disorder also meet criteria for ADHD. Other studies associate up to 50% of individuals with ASD with social anxiety and other studies suggest up to 83% might have some form of anxiety. A growing body of research have also shown important differences in how autism presents in males vs females.
High quality comprehensive assessments by an experienced clinician, helps you understand your brain, mobilizing support services and necessary accommodation, and sets you on the path to grow and evolve your authentic self, emerging from behind your social mask.
Why some clients only get tested in adulthood.
Many adults are only now discovering they’re on the autism spectrum, often after years of misunderstanding their own experiences.
Our Process
Famous People With Autism
1. Sir Anthony Hopkins
He’s probably the most prolific actor in the whole list of autistic celebrities. This man is a force in the Hollywood industry. From Marvel movies to absolutely unnerving movies like Silence of the Lambs, he’s proved that a learning disorder couldn’t stifle his passion and talent.
He, unfortunately, didn’t even know he had Asperger’s syndrome when he was a child. This could have contributed to a slightly troubled childhood. But he has also stated that having Asperger’s syndrome had led him to deconstruct the characters that he otherwise wouldn’t have.
Having Asperger’s syndrome has not deterred this powerhouse of an actor, at all. He is even known for memorizing his words well. He even impressed the crew for the movie, “Amistad” where he acted out a seven-page speech in one go.
While it’s good to admire his perseverance and resilience to go through most of his life without knowing he had Asperger’s syndrome, it is also important to note that his life may have been a little easier had he been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.
2. Dan Aykroyd
This man has earned a place on the list of famous people with autism. The director of the famous Ghostbusters movie franchise had been diagnosed with Tourette’s disease at the age of 12. Later, after his wife suggested he get diagnosed, he was also diagnosed with mild Asperger’s syndrome.
He attributes his obsession with ghosts and law enforcement to his Tourette’s. And honestly, he seems to have made a wonderful life for himself because of his passion (for the non-humans), that’s what matters.
Tourette’s syndrome5 -This is a condition that leads to a person suffering from involuntary movements and tics. These tics can range from rapid and continuous blinking to repeated random words or sounds. while there is no medication for Tourette’s, it can become easily manageable with age.
Tourette’s and Autism spectrum disorders are very similar from higher occurrence in males than in females to identical symptoms. Both are speculated to be related to genetic and neurological factors. According to this study published in the Journal of the Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, it was deduced that 1 out of five children with Autism spectrum disorder diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome also met the diagnostic criteria for autism.
Therefore while TS and ASD have more similarities than differences, it is essential to differentiate both of them well to diagnose a patient correctly.
Read this interview of his with the Daily Mail, to get to know more about him like, for example, he has three cats (already living the dream life, if you ask me.)
3. Albert Einstein
Now, this one is purely based on speculation and studying all the biographical data that we have on him. Hence, it’s the least accurate one because there was no autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in his time. So what has led to this speculative diagnosis of his? So, there are a couple of reasons-
- He did not learn how to speak until he was three years old and then even when he did start speaking around the age of seven, he used to whisper the words to himself before speaking them out loud.
- Albert Einstein was just an average kid in school, like me. Then he grew up to become a genius, unlike me.
- He also had a difficult time in school making friends and used to spend most of his time making buildings out of construction blocks. He also described himself to be shy throughout his life and was known to have only a few close relations and friends.
- Solving that one problem (which eventually led him to win the Nobel Prize) was a big indicator of Autism spectrum disorder.
- But this should be taken with a grain of salt, as an accurate diagnosis can never be made with just facts about a person. And of course, Albert Einstein’s fixation on one problem, and his determination to solve that one problem (which eventually led him to win the Nobel Prize) was a big indicator of Autism spectrum disorder.
- But this should be taken with a grain of salt, as an accurate diagnosis can never be made with just facts about a person.
4. Bill Gates
There is again no statement from the co-founder of Microsoft that he is on the autism spectrum, but experts have speculated that his traits are very similar to those of people with high-functioning autism. Bill Gates hasn’t been officially diagnosed. He has been described as highly introverted and a little awkward.
Bill Gates has also stated that he doesn’t enjoy small talk and prefers to spend his time working.
5. Temple Grandin
The first woman on our list of famous autistic, rejoice. Before researching for this article, I had not come across her name before but she’s one of the most famous autistic people. She is an American academic and an animal behaviourist.
She has spent most of her life being an outspoken proponent of autism rights. She is an important part of the autism community. Temple Grandin was also a member of the Autism Society of America for a while.
Her life was a little tumultuous to begin with, as when she was two she was diagnosed with “brain damage”, a diagnosis which was later disproved. It was only her grandmother who hypothesized that she had autism and lo and behold, after a proper diagnosis she was determined to be an autistic savant.
She has a PhD in animal science and in 2010, she was on the Time 100 list of influential people.
6. Emily Dickinson
Another one of the speculative cases of autism. Emily Dickinson, the famous poet writing about death et all. She was known to be a recluse and in fact never married, in a time when this decision was almost criminal. She had a very basic and consistent way of living.
But her brilliance could never be shrouded with any disorder. Emily Dickinson led a peculiar life for her time, but this only added to the enigma of a woman that she was and continues to be through the words of her poems.
7. Daryl Hannah
Three women in a row in a list of famous people with autism, who says feminism is dead? Daryl Hannah, an actor known for her work in Kill Bill was first diagnosed as a child. Later, she used to hide this from movie producers and executives because she felt she might be rejected because of it. She also hesitated from attending chat shows and movie promotion events because they terrified her a bit.
To this day, she finds interacting with a lot of people a little nerve-wracking but she has learned to cope with it and lead a better life.
8. Hans Christian Anderson
He was a fairy tale story writer who wrote popular stories like The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling. Some people with autism have stated they relate to him on a personal level, almost as if he too was on the autism spectrum.
Plus his stories have a recurring theme of an outcast main character and this has resonated with a lot of people on the spectrum. So he was possibly autistic and is on this list of famous people with autism.
Now, we could stop at just eight famous people, but I feel there are a few more famous people who do belong on this list.
9. Tim Burton
If you’ve seen any one of his movies, you’d know how eccentric and out-of-the-box imagination he has. While he was not diagnosed with it as a child, later in life, his wife, Helena Bonham Carter suggested that he might have Asperger’s syndrome.
After watching a documentary on the same, he felt he too had Asperger’s disorder. So I guess he self-diagnosed (which is not advised, of course) but he has fully embraced his diagnosis, never shying away from the weird, as we can see in his movies.
10. Thomas Jefferson
The third president of the United States of America was more likely than not on the autism spectrum. He was shy and used to fixate on special interests like remodeling his house. He also did not like social interaction loud noises and maintaining eye contact He also had speech impediments such as stuttering didn’t have a loud voice and would often mutter.
If we consider autism to be family-related, Thomas Jefferson probably got it from his mother’s side.
11. Courtney Love
The famous rock singer, and wife of Kurt Cobain, and of the most recognized celebrities on this list, was diagnosed with a mild form of autism (mild autism) as a young girl, at the age of 9. Since her autism diagnosis, She has since been very vocal about her condition and hopes she can help others by spreading awareness.
12. Alexis Wineman
This American model was diagnosed at the age of 11. While initially, this diagnosis was a shock to her and her family, she decided to not let it overpower every other facet of her life. Her family also helped her overcome her speech difficulties and helped her improve her social skills. She went on to become a Miss America contestant so I guess everything worked out.
13. Eminem
The legendary wrapper has mentioned that he has Asperger’s in a song of his, titled, “Wicked Ways”. During his childhood days, he used to fake being sick so he could avoid going to school.
14. Sir Isaac Newton
Maybe the discovery of gravity had something to do with autism. Sir Isaac Newton is also on the list of famous people with autism. He had the textbook symptoms: disliking social interactions and having obsessions. His genius could’ve been accidental or it had something with him being on the spectrum. There’s no way of knowing for certain now, so for now he belongs on the list of famous people with autism.
15. Greta Thunberg
She needs no introduction. This environmental activist has taken the world by storm, and rightfully so. She probably cares more about the environment than maybe an entire generation of people. She also has Asperger’s syndrome.
She has stated that she felt a certain sadness before her diagnosis and didn’t want to feel that particular way. But after her diagnosis, she even started to understand herself better and has even referred to her condition as a “superpower”.
16. Bobby Fisher
Chess grandmaster, World Chess champion: He also had a handful of other psychological disorders such as paranoid schizophrenia and OCD.
17. Woody Allen
Oscar-Winning director: Despite his controversial personal life, he is a gifted director who has won three Oscars three times. This speaks to his genius. He belongs on this list of people with autism.
18. Satoshi Tariji
A Japanese video game designer.
19. Jerry Seinfeld
This extremely controversial comedian, being true to his reputation, stated that he had Asperger’s, but turns out this was also just a self-diagnosis and this didn’t sit well with a lot of people.