20 Famous People on the Autism Spectrum
1. Dan Aykroyd
The popular actor was diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome at age 12 and went to therapy. However, he wasn't diagnosed with Asperger's until the 1980s, when his wife encouraged him to see a doctor.
By then, he had already been expelled from two different schools. Since his diagnosis, Aykroyd has been open and honest about his experiences with autism, including how it contributed to the idea for the movie Ghostbusters. He said, "One of my symptoms included my obsession with ghosts and law enforcement — I carry around a police badge with me, for example. I became obsessed by Hans Holzer, the greatest ghost hunter ever. That’s when the idea of my film Ghostbusters was born." He also disclosed that these symptoms were also helpful in the creation of Blues Brothers.
Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder, makes mention of a wide range of neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by communication challenges, such as having a difficult time socially interacting with others and expressing repetitive or nonverbal behavior. There is no one type of autism, but rather there are several types, each caused by different genetic and environmental factors. Autism was a rather difficult condition to diagnose up until the 20th century. Nevertheless, it has a long history of diagnoses and being a public figure does not mean immunity from the condition. Autism can affect anyone. Here are 19 more famous people on the autism spectrum.
We'll share how it affects their lives.
Photo: DAN FREAKING AYKROYD!! by Gregory Wild-Smith
