Autistic people work in every field you can think of, including some very public ones. The ten people below have all spoken openly about being autistic. We’ve stuck to people who have shared a diagnosis themselves, rather than guessing about anyone else.
You’ll find lists online that claim Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton or Charles Darwin were autistic. We’ve left them out. Diagnosing people who died long before autism was understood is guesswork, and it says more about our stereotypes of genius than about autism.
1. Temple Grandin, animal scientist
Temple Grandin is one of the best-known autistic people in the world. Her designs for humane livestock handling changed the industry, and she has taught animal science at Colorado State University since 1990. She began speaking publicly about autism in the mid-1980s, and her book Thinking in Pictures (1995) explains how she thinks visually. Claire Danes played her in the 2010 HBO film Temple Grandin, which features on our list of films and TV programmes about autism.
2. Chris Packham, naturalist and broadcaster
The wildlife presenter was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome in 2005. In 2017 he made the BBC Two documentary Chris Packham: Asperger’s and Me, a frank look at his own life, and the same year he became an ambassador for the National Autistic Society.
3. Greta Thunberg, climate activist
Greta Thunberg’s Asperger’s diagnosis was made public by her mother in 2015. Thunberg has said it has held her back at times, but she has also described it as a “superpower”, and she has spoken about how many autistic people are drawn to climate activism.
4. Susan Boyle, singer
Susan Boyle became famous overnight after her audition on Britain’s Got Talent in 2009. She was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome in 2012 and spoke about it publicly in December 2013, describing her relief at finally understanding herself after being misdiagnosed earlier in life.
5. Anne Hegerty, quizzer
Known to millions as “The Governess” on ITV’s The Chase, Anne Hegerty was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome in her 40s. She talked openly about being autistic during I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2018, which brought the subject to a huge prime-time audience.
6. Daryl Hannah, actor
The star of Splash and Blade Runner was diagnosed as autistic as a child. She spoke publicly about her autism in 2013, describing how it shaped her childhood and her experience of fame.
7. Hannah Gadsby, comedian
The Australian comedian was diagnosed with autism and ADHD in 2017. Their show Douglas, which toured internationally from 2019 and was released on Netflix in 2020, uses that diagnosis as a way to help audiences understand neurodiversity.
8. Fern Brady, comedian and writer
Scottish comedian Fern Brady was diagnosed as autistic in 2021, having been misdiagnosed as a teenager. Her memoir Strong Female Character (2023) is a sharp, funny account of growing up as an undiagnosed autistic girl, and it won the non-fiction category at the first Nero Book Awards. It’s a good companion to our article on autism in women.
9. Christine McGuinness, TV personality
Christine McGuinness is autistic, as are her three children. She featured in the 2021 BBC documentary Paddy and Christine McGuinness: Our Family and Autism, followed in 2023 by Christine McGuinness: Unmasking My Autism. We’ve written about what Christine McGuinness has said about meltdowns and masking.
10. Wentworth Miller, actor
The Prison Break star announced in July 2021 that he had been diagnosed as autistic a year earlier.
What these stories have in common
Notice how many of these people were diagnosed as adults, often after years of feeling different without knowing why. That is especially true for women. It’s a reminder that many of your colleagues may be autistic without anyone knowing, sometimes including themselves. It’s also a reminder that autistic people don’t fit one mould; our article on six autism stereotypes explains why. For more, see our list of famous neurodivergent women and the National Autistic Society guide to autism.
How Enna can help
Famous names start conversations, but the autistic people who matter most to your organisation are the ones already on your team. Our Neurodiversity 101 workshop helps staff understand autism beyond the headlines, and our Neurodiversity Champions training equips colleagues to support others day to day. Visit our autism in the workplace page to see how we work with employers.
If you’re autistic and job hunting, you’ll find inclusive employers on the Enna jobs board.
