Published on 12, July, 2020
I have read in several different places that Lionel Messi is autistic, it is said he may have been diagnosed as a child in Argentina before he moved to Spain at 13, and reading books and articles about him and seeing how he talks in interviews and how he is on the pitch a lot of his personality and behaviour would fit with an autistic person. I found it really comforting and inspirational when he won the World Cup yesterday. It felt like NT people always reject us and look down on us and make us feel we are not as good as them and yet an autistic person is the absolute best in the world at something. It made me almost cry with happiness, like a victory for autistic people.
I believe Albert Einstein may have been autistic too. I teach other autistic kids and when they put themselves down and see their autism as something that makes us inferior, I say to them the most intelligent man in history and the greatest footballer in history are both autistic.
Where historic figures are concerned, it will have to remain speculative.
Some known names:
Temple Grandin
Christine McGuiness
Susan Boyle
Daryl Hannah
Fern Brady
Greta Thunberg
The list is of course shorter than that of men, as women are far less likely to have been diagnosed.
I wonder how many famous women from history were autistic and actually achieved something in spite of being disenfranchised.
I wonder how many achieved BECAUSE they were autistic. My mother did say for my assessment that my biggest strength was my determination. Once I've made up my mind I am doing something I AM doing it and nothing and nobody is telling me "no". Certainly not a man with other ideas about what a woman should do! We can be stubborn little wotsits, but that's not always a bad thing, huh?
Debbie said:I wonder how many famous women from history were autistic and actually achieved something in spite of being disenfranchised.
In fact, I wonder how many autistic women now, in areas of the world where they are subjugated by men, are still trying to achieve something in their lives.