The artist Michelangelo may have had a form of autism called
Asperger's Syndrome, and Albert Einstein, Socrates and Jane
Austen may have had it too. Psychiatrists describe
Michelangelo as "strange, without affect, and isolated"
and "preoccupied with his own private reality." Other
potential Asperger's cases are Charles Darwin, Isaac Newton,
Marie Curie, the poet W.B. Yeats and pop artist Andy Warhol.
Even Microsoft's Bill Gates has been mentioned as possibly
having it.
People with Asperger's often have one great talent, such as
in math or art. Researcher Simon Baron-Cohen says, "This
goes to show that people who get by without a diagnosis
have found a niche where they can use their skills to make a
contribution. This need not be dramatic?perhaps they are a
very methodical worker, who understands the rules of their
chosen profession."
In bbcnews.com, Megan Lane quotes psychiatrist Muhammed
Arshad as saying, "[Michelangelo's} single-minded work
routine, unusual lifestyle, limited interests, poor social and
communication skills and various issues of life control appear
to be features of high-functioning autism or Asperger's
Syndrome?This reflects the positive side of this gene, that
people with it can contribute in many ways. Being single-
minded, it gives them the chance to focus on something
which interests them. Their talents are not diluted by the
everyday interactions that take up so much time for the rest
of us."
Researcher Simon Baron-Cohen says, "The condition does
tend to affect men more than women, especially among those
who are high-functioning. Males outnumber females nine to
one in this diagnosis." People with Asperger's find social
situations confusing, hate making small talk, have trouble
understanding how other people feel and are good at facts
and details and can concentrate well. The syndrome was first
identified in 1944 and now psychologists think that many
genius-level social misfits may have it.
Here's something we all carry around that most of us don't
know about:
auras. They can reveal everything about us!
To learn more,
click
here and
here.
