Need inspiration...

[neverputasockinatoaster]

On Monday I am giving a talk on autism to DS's class. I have a few interactive ideas going on and mostly know what I'm going to say BUT I want to include some famous people with AS... Apart fro Bill Gates and Mozart I can't think of anyone that 9 year olds from my part of the world will have heard of let alone find interesting!

Anyone got any ideas? All the people that come up on google I don't feel are relevant to their lives!

how about that guy from the most recent celebrity big brother - - was he in steps?? AJ i think was his name?

Don't know if they'll appeal to 9 year olds, but there's Alan Turing, Lewis Carroll, Hans Christian Anderson.

Or what about some fictional representations? Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang, or Abed from Community?

Tim burton, definitely is, but no offical dx. Daryl Hannah has dx, Steven Spielberg, Einstein.

Thank you. Hav eadded names to my list.

The Hollywood actor Dan Ackroyd was only diagnosed after he'd been expelled from 2 schools with Aspbergers + tics + OCD so worth using. He turned out OK in the end so useful to help inspire any kids feeling a bit low about themselves given how they are treated in schools.

The inventor of Pokemon - DS googled him last year as part of a literacy project he did for me at home - his NT friends at mainstream were all fascinated too. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satoshi_Tajiri

Andy Warhol if only because the inclusion of an artist on the list helps dispel some of the techy geek stereotypes about HFA.

Craig Nicholls - lead singer of the Vines.

Eugene Hoskins - simply because his fairly severe autism meant he was treated better than many of his peers in the deeply regulated racist deep south. Noone expected him to behave according to the social norms of the day, and his ability to entertain those of high social standing shielded him. His story is an odd piece of social history, especially when you compare it to the fate of so many in "care in the coomunity" today. (eg he was able to earn an independent income, and suffered no restriction of movement to follow his interests)

Dylan B Larkins. Who, I hear you ask?

He's the founder of Intercraften, a family-friendly Minecraft server with over 10,000 users, and has a diagnosis of Aspergers.

Darwin
Leonardo da Vinci
Check out Darwin's list to himself of pros and cons whether he should marry...;)

Isaac Newton. Quite a few of his contemporaries too, it would seem.

Satoshi Tajiri, the inventor of Pokemon

Do I win?

aargh. I lose. Boch got there first

Andy Kaufman (of REM - Man in The Moon fame) had autism

Gary Numan has aspergers.

Thank you all... talk to the class is done and I am now booked to talk to the staff!

I shall add the extra names to my staff presentation.