Many neurodivergent individuals continue to aspire us and impact our world in profound manners daily. Here, we have listed eight among the many neurodivergent leaders who have achieved significant successes and are role models for us all today.
Satoshi Tajiri: Creator of the world-famous Pokemon game, Satoshi Tajiri’s childhood was spent collecting bugs and playing arcade games. According to an article by Colin Eldred-Cohen on the Art of Autism, “Satoshi Tajiri is a high-functioning autistic. Yes, the creator of Pokemon is on the spectrum.” Tajiri was diagnosed when he was a child, and although he initially failed high school, he eventually made up his classes and received a diploma. Tajiri sparked his career in gaming by writing for a magazine called Game Freak. Later, Tajiri pitched his idea for Pokemon to Nintendo. Eventually Nintendo approved Tajiri’s idea for Pokemon, spurring the successes of the popular game.
Simone Biles: Simone Biles, among the most decorated gymnasts in the world, began her passion at age 6, when she took a school trip to a gymnastics center in Texas. Her imitation of the gymnasts led her to asking her parents to enroll her at the gym. Since then, Biles has earned the titles of “Most World Championship gold medals won by a female gymnast in history and most decorated World Championship American gymnast with 30 total medals,” among numerous others. A few weeks after her stunning performance at the Rio Olympics in 2016, some hackers released Biles’, among others’, private medical information from the World Anti Doping Agency. An article by ESPN states, “The leaked medical records revealed that Biles takes Ritalin, a stimulant commonly used to treat ADHD. The hackers accused her of using an "illicit psycho-stimulant" while competing, but USA Gymnastics confirmed that Biles had been approved for a therapeutic-use exemption.” Biles took to social media to reveal that she has ADHD, expressing, “Having ADHD, and taking medicine for it is nothing to be ashamed of nothing that I'm afraid to let people know,” and taking a step to combat the stigma surrounding ADHD.
Michael Phelps: The youngest and most decorated Olympian in the world, Michael Phelps is an inspiration to many for his dedication and successes in swimming. However, some may not know of how he started swimming. Diagnosed with ADHD in sixth grade, one of Phelps’ teachers told his mother, “Your son will never be able to focus on anything.” His inattention in school did not reflect his focus in the pool though. Although Phelps initially hated swimming, as he practiced, it grew to be his passion and helped him direct his life. An article by The Understood mentions that Phelps describes, “‘Once I figured out how to swim, I felt so free.’ He recalls, ‘I could go fast in the pool, it turned out, in part because being in the pool slowed down my mind. In the water, I felt, for the first time, in control.’” Soon, at 15 years old, Phelps swam at the 2000 Olympics, “and has medaled at every summer Olympic event since.”
Temple Grandin: Well known for her contributions to the field of animal behavior and advocacy for both the humane treatment of animals, as well as autism, Dr. Temple Grandin currently is Colorado State University's Assistant Professor of Animal Science. Her website explains, “Dr. Grandin did not talk until she was three and a half years old. She was fortunate to get early speech therapy. Her teachers also taught her how to wait and take turns when playing board games. She was mainstreamed into a normal kindergarten at age five.” This led to Dr. Grandin being bullied by other children, but her science teacher acted as a mentor for her. Now, Dr. Grandin’s accomplishments are extremely influential and “half the cattle in the United States are handled in facilities she has designed,” indicative of the magnitude of her impact.
Richard Branson: A British entrepreneur, Richard Branson founded the Virgin Records in the 1970 and has found great success in his projects that span across various fields with notable ones being entrepreneurial ventures in music, and in space tourism. Now a successful billionaire that helped sign musical groups such as the Sex Pistons and has expanded his business into the travel industry, many are unaware that Branson struggled struggled in school when he was younger as a result of having dyslexia. He quickly fell behind at Scaitcliffe School and dropped out of school altogether at the age of 16 but still pursued his dreams in order to build his empire.
Cammi Granato: Cammi Grannato is a decorated hockey player that battles with ADHD. Despite her condition, Granato was able to play hockey throughout her college career before entering the professional athletes scene where she was named USA Women’s Player of the Year in 1966. Cammi was able to lead the United States team at the Winter Olympics in 2002 and although she was unable to play in the Olympics in 2006, Cammi ended her career on a high note and was the all time leading scorer in women’s international hockey. She was also the first female to be inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame, making her an inspiration for many.
Will Smith: An American actor and Musician, Will Smith is well known in his industry for his versatility and charisma. Smith started off his career in creating rap music in high school and won the first Grammy ever presented to a rap performance for his single “Parents Just Don’t Understand. He then starred in a popular sitcom, “The Fresh prince of Bel-Air”, that was loosely based on hs story before transitioning into cinema and played large roles in movies like Bad Boys and Independence Day all while living with ADHD, which highlights how neurodiverse individuals can make a significant impact in any industry.
Susan Boyle: A Scottish Singer, Susan Boyle’s appearance on Britain’s Got Talent brought her international attention. At just the age of 12, Susan Boyle’s fascination with music drew her to participate in musical productions at her school and from there, she pursued music by singing in her church choir and at the Edinburgh festival Fringe. When Boyle was born, she was deprived of oxygen which led to permanent brain damage that left her with many learning disabilities. She later was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome but worked hard to chase after her dreams. Her album I Dreamed a Dream was featured number one on the Billboard charts in 2009 and she later released her holiday album, The Gift.
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