Michael Fitzgerald - Autism Cosmologist?

[dogjones]

So I read this article which states that Mozart, Orwell, Einstein, Beethoven and Newton all had autism. Not "may have had", but "had."

I had never heard of this before. So I googled "Mozart Orwell Einstein autism" and lots of people seem to be saying it.

Most seem to be based on the work of one Michael Fitzgerald of Dublin University. Anyone read him? Is he some kind of autism cosmologist, like autism explains everything? Or is there something in what he says?

Certainly it must be difficult to diagnose long dead people. I can't help thinking that he's read something like "Mozart was a difficult boy" and thought "Aha! Mozart was a genius as well! So by the Fitzgerald formula of Difficult + Genius = Autism, it's time to write a new book."

 

[Dave Rogers]

This sort of retrodiagnosis seems very popular, and I don't believe a word of it. I don't think it's quite as simple as Difficult + Genius = Autism, but any result that depends entirely on anecdotal information has to be taken with a pinch of salt. I can accept that there's evidence to suggest that X, Y and Z historical figures had autism, or that it's likely that they did, but to make a definite diagnosis strikes me as rather irresponsible.

Dave

 

[arthwollipot]

Certainly it must be difficult to diagnose long dead people. I can't help thinking that he's read something like "Mozart was a difficult boy" and thought "Aha! Mozart was a genius as well! So by the Fitzgerald formula of Difficult + Genius = Autism, it's time to write a new book."

Your avatar says it all.

These journalists are crazy!

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

So I read this article which states that Mozart, Orwell, Einstein, Beethoven and Newton all had autism. Not "may have had", but "had."

I had never heard of this before. So I googled "Mozart Orwell Einstein autism" and lots of people seem to be saying it.

Most seem to be based on the work of one Michael Fitzgerald of Dublin University. Anyone read him? Is he some kind of autism cosmologist, like autism explains everything? Or is there something in what he says?

Certainly it must be difficult to diagnose long dead people. I can't help thinking that he's read something like "Mozart was a difficult boy" and thought "Aha! Mozart was a genius as well! So by the Fitzgerald formula of Difficult + Genius = Autism, it's time to write a new book."

They didn't include Michelangelo?

It seems any nerd now has autism or Aspergers. Can we give douche bag jocks a complex and give it a name? Anger management complex? Sexual harassment syndrome?

Aren't these "personality traits" and not "syndromes" and "diseases"? Some people like to be left alone and learn and prefect music and art and math and science. Others hate that stuff and want to go out and socialize and be cool and do whatever they need to do to get laid.

 

[wollery]

From what I know of Mozart he wasn't autistic, he was a spoiled brat.

Einstein, pretty definitely not autistic. Autism is a social interaction disorder spectrum, and by all accounts Einstein was a pretty normal guy.

No idea about Orwell.

 

[dogjones]

Check this out, by Belenos - everyone has autism. Everyone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People_speculated_to_have_been_autistic