Famous Musicians with Autism

Despite the vast amount of knowledge and progress that’s been made with regard to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in recent years, there’s still a long way to go to achieve acceptance and understanding. While much more is known about autism today than even 20 years ago, a stigma still exists about people who suffer from the neurodevelopmental disorder.

So much is talked about the challenges that people with autism face, such as difficulty with communication and social interaction, sensitivity to certain sensory stimuli, and repetitive behaviors and/or restrictive interests.

Yet, not enough is discussed about the amazing things that people with autism can achieve. In fact, there are some people on the autism spectrum who also have Savant Syndrome, which is characterized by excelling in one skillset way beyond the abilities of the general public.

People with autism often have special talents in areas such as art, music, mathematics, engineering and architecture — such as the famous musicians below who have autism.

Learn more about the specialized talents of people with autism

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Courtney Love

Being an actor and a lead singer in a band is not something you would think is something a person with autism would be able to do. Yet, Courtney Love has done exactly that.

Love is very open about her struggles being on the autism spectrum, which has led to more awareness about the disorder and acceptance of it as well. She writes very introspective lyrics for her music and gives audiences powerful performances on stage.

She’s also seen some success on the silver screen, acting in some successful movies.

David Byrne

Another lead singer of a famous band, David Byrne of the Talking Heads has also been open about his diagnosis with autism. In fact, Byrne has said multiple times that his ASD has actually contributed to his success, rather than taking away from it.

He says that he feels it was easier for him to express himself because of his condition, since he wasn’t worried as much as others might be about what people might think. That has allowed him to be explorative and unique with his musical writings, which have set him and his band apart from others who have come before and after them.

Sia

Sia is a famous pop singer today, and she was only diagnosed as having ASD in 2021, when she was 45 years old. She has a very distinctive tone and a powerful voice who has collaborated with many famous musicians and celebrities in her career.

Like the two others on this list before her, Sia has been very open about her autism diagnosis. She has spoken outwardly about it, which has helped to educate her fans and spread awareness about the condition and the plight of people who suffer from it.

Sia has also opened up people’s eyes to other singers who are on the autism spectrum, which is great for ASD awareness and the music industry as a whole.

Thomas Wiggins

Known as “Blind Tom,” Thomas Wiggins was a child prodigy at piano. Despite being enslaved and blind, he had a magical gift to play the piano, which he started playing when he was just 4 years old.

By 8 years old, he was touring around the country as a professional pianist. Even though the money he earned mostly went to his enslavers, Wiggins was the highest-paid pianist during the 19th century. He even became the first black musician to perform at the White House when he did so in 1960 — at only 10 years old.

Many experts believe that Wiggins had autism. He was known to be fascinated with sound, and could mimic many different sounds, including those that trains made and even bird calls.

Wiggins was also nonverbal, twitched and rocked.

Susan Boyle

Susan Boyle became famous after she appeared on the TV show “Britain’s Got Talent.” In all, she sold more than 14 million albums as a singer from Scotland.

She’s shy and introverted, which made sense to a lot of people when she announced that she had Asperger’s syndrome. Boyle even said when she finally was diagnosed with ASD that she was relieved, because it explained so much of who she was.

Boyle has said that she’s still learning about what her challenges are that she faces as a result of ASD, and is working to spread awareness about the disorder.

Blue Gems ABA Supports Children with Autism

These are just a few famous musicians who have overcome the challenges they face due to their autism to become wildly successful and accomplished. They serve as reminders that people on the autism spectrum can achieve so much, especially when they are given the proper support.

At Blue Gems ABA, we aim to provide that support to children with autism. We do so by administering applied behavioral analysis, or ABA therapy, on a one-to-one basis.

Using positive reinforcement and repetition, our experienced BCBAs help children with ASD build the social, communication and daily life skills with which they often struggle.

To learn more, please contact us today.