Famous People with Asperger Syndrome
Recently, some researchers, in particular Simon Baron-Kohen and John James, suggested that such well-known personalities of the past, such as Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton, had Asperger’s syndrome. The scientists say they showed some syndrome tendencies in their behavior, such as an intense interest in a topic or social problems. One of the chapters of this Gillberg book is dedicated to this topic, including a detailed case analysis of the situation with the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein with the conclusion that the person meets the criteria for Asperger’s Syndrome. Naturally, the absence of a diagnosis in life does not mean that there was nothing to diagnose, especially if we take into account that although there was no widespread knowledge about the syndrome (as is often the case with Asperger syndrome, which has recently been widely recognized in psychiatric circles). However, such post-mortem diagnosis remains controversial.
Arguments in favor of alleged autism spectrum disorders in famous personalities vary from person to person. Some argue that in the case of Albert Einstein (one of the most cited suspected autists), he learned to speak late, was a lonely child, threw violent tantrums, silently repeated the previously uttered phrase, and needed his wives to play. the role of parents when he was an adult: stereotypical factors for autistic people. Isaac Newton stuttered and suffered from epilepsy. Many of these alleged historical cases of Asperger’s Syndrome may be quite mild (unvoiced), but some skeptics argue that only some features of autism can be seen in these cases and are not sufficient to diagnose autism spectrum. In the end, many critics of historical diagnosis claim that it is simply impossible to diagnose the dead, and therefore nothing can be said with certainty about historical individuals with (or without) Asperger syndrome.
All these assumptions may just be an attempt to create a pattern of behavior (role model, an object of imitation) for people with autism and show that they can do constructive things and make a contribution to society. Autism rights activists often use this type of presumptive diagnosis to show that treating autism would be a loss to society. But others in autistic rights organizations don’t like these arguments because they feel that people with autism have to appreciate their uniqueness even if they don’t want to be cured, regardless of whether people like Einstein were autistic.
Some appearance characteristics and activity facts indicate that John Carmack is also a male with AS, or has another type of unusual personality of a similar nature.
The possible causes and origins of Asperger syndrome are a highly debated and controversial topic. The majority opinion today is that the causes of Asperger syndrome are the same as those of autism. Some researchers, however, disagree, arguing that Asperger’s syndrome and autism are due to two different things. This all comes during the broader ongoing debate about whether Asperger’s syndrome and other conditions (such as attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity disorder – ADHD) are part of the so-called autism spectrum.
Among many competing theories about the causes of autism (and therefore, as many believe, Asperger syndrome), the loose connection theory, developed by cognition researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, Simon Baron-Kohena’s Marginal Male Brain Theory, Pre-Labor Theory, Social Structure Theory, and Genetics.
Some theorists give more arguments in favor of Asperger syndrome than autism. Sometimes they argue that some specific theories play a larger role in Asperger syndrome, for example, the theory of social structure and genetics. However, this is the area of considerable controversy.