by Catalogs.com Info Guru Oliver Vandervoort

One of the truly tragic problems with Autism is that it can be hard to diagnose.

Some people who seem to have some odd social skills can go either be someone who simply has a hard time socializing with others. That same person might also be someone that has some form of Autism. The other tragic thing about the disorder is that people tend to write Autistic people off as not really being able to serve the their community, when in fact that is not the case. Autistic people can have different skills than the rest of us but they can find a way to put their attributes to good use in a huge variety of different ways. In that vein we have brought you the top ten famous people with Austism.

10. Dawn Prince-Hughes

When people think of ape and primate research they often think of Jane Goodall. Dawn Prince-Hughes may not be quite at the level of Goodall but the Autistic academic is considered one of the top scientists in the field of primate research today. Prince-Hughes actually credits her research on Silver Back Gorillas as being therapeutic because it allows her to escape the feelings of social isolation that comes with his disorder.

9. Jason McElwain

Jason McElwain was a high school basketball player when he came to be known to the masses. McElwain was a backup who’s most famous accomplishment was when he managed to score a whopping 20 points in the final four minutes of a basketball game. Those kinds of numbers would be incredibly impressive by a player who didn’t have Autism.

8. Satoshi Tajiri

Video game players might recognize this name because Tajiri is actually the creator of Pokemon. He also has a high functioning version of Autism known as Asperbergers syndrome. This particular Austistic has managed to build quite a little dynasty with the Pokemon games and shows and trading cards.

7. Jessica Jane-Applegate

Another Austistic athlete on the list, Applegate is a British Paralympic who won gold in the most recent Paralympic games and became the first intellectually disabled swimmer to do so.

6. Donna Williams

Donna Williams is a very accomplished artist both in the Austistic community and in the artistic community as a whole. Williams is also an accomplished author thanks to the publication of her autobiography. She has become an international celebrity thanks to her efforts overcoming her condition.

5. John Elder Robison

Another author on this list, Robison has brought his plight to light thanks to his first book Look me in the Eye and has written two other books since that publication.

4. Peter Tork

Peter Tork used to be one of the most well known musicians/actors in the country as a member of The Monkeys. In 2008, Tork announced that he had Asperberger’s. Tork may not be among the most famous of people these days, but there are plenty of people who remember the name and would recognize him if they saw him coming, walking down the street.

3. Gary Numan

Numan is another singer on the list that recently divulged he suffers from a mild form of Autism. Numan is probably best known for his 1979 hit single “Cars.”

2. Daniel Tammet

Tammet is one of the well-known Autistics in the world thanks in large part to his massive intellect. Tammet is considered one the 100 living geniuses in the world. Tammet is an educator and a writer.

1. Temple Grandin

Temple Grandin is famous for far more than her interesting name. The woman who holds a PhD in animal sciences is widely credited as being able to change the beef industry to make it more humane. Her story is interesting enough that the Autistic was recently played by Claire Danes in an HBO movie.