As people are becoming more autism aware adult diagnoses are increasing. Autism is common with the National Autistic Society estimating 700,000 people are on the autistic spectrum in the UK. Whilst there is no official count of people who are autistic this is a well-recognised figure and if anything is likely to be conservative. This figure represents more than 1% of the population in the UK. In the USA the CDC reported approximately 1 in 44 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Personally I think it is much higher than both these estimates based on huge numbers of undiagnosed adults.
10 Famous People with Autism:
1 – Greta Thunberg
Greta the Swedish environmental activist spoke at the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference. Becoming famous as a teenager after starting the school strikes for climate change on Fridays (Fridays for Future). Greta was was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, OCD and selective mutism.
2 – Elon Musk
Elon Musk is the worlds richest person CEO & chief engineer at SpaceX; CEO &Product Architect of Tesla. In 2021 Elon revealed he had Asperger’s syndrome on Saturday Night Live.
3 – Tom Malone Jr
Ex Gogglebox star Tom was diagnosed as autistic aged 27. Now a professional dancer and TV personality.
4 – Christine McGuinness
Model and TV personality Christine is married to Top Gear host Paddy McGuinness and mother to three autistic children. Christine was diagnosed aged 33.
5 -Chris Packham
British TV presenter of BBC’s Springwatch. Chris has a diagnosis of Asperger syndrome and talks about living with Asperger’s in the documentary Asperger’s and Me. Chris is also an ambassador for the National Autistic Society.
6 – Sir Anthony Hopkins CBE
Award winning Welsh actor best known for his role as Hannibal Lector in The Silence of the lambs. In 2017 he revealed his Asperger’s diagnosis.
7 – Temple Grandin
An American professor of Animal Science and Author. Grandin has published several books about living with autism including Thinking in Pictures and The Autistic Brain.
8 – Melanie Sykes
Melanie is a TV presenter best known for co-hosting Today with Des and Mel and Let’s Do Lunch. Melanie was diagnosed as autistic aged 51.
9 – Niall Aslam
Niall was a Contestant on Love Island in 2018, after leaving the show Niall revealed his autism diagnosis.
10 – Anne Hegerty
English television quiz personality from The Chase. Contestant on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here 2018. Hegerty is diagnosed with Asperger’s.
There are many other famous autistics including Alex Reid, Dan Ackroyd, Daryl Hannah, Susan Boyle, Courtney Love, Jessica Applegate and Wentworth Millar.
There is speculation that historical figures such as Alan Turing, Mozart, Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton had autism. Displaying many typical traits of autism or Asperger’s so many people believe they may have got a diagnosis had they been alive today.
If you want to learn more about autism see my post on everything you need to know about autism & neurodiversity.
