Famous People with
Learning Disabilities
Learning disabilities are more common than believed. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia, autism and Asperger’s syndrome among others are just some of the many conditions that cause learning disabilities.
George Washington |
In most cases, people develop or have these learning disabilities at a very tender age, when they are expected to study, perform well in school, compete with others and create the foundation for a successful future.
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Albert Einstein was thought to be mentally retarded and this was not just the opinion of the society but also his parents. Did anyone imagine that the man would go on to be a defining factor in the world of science? He is regarded as one of the brightest minds in the history of mankind and he was a sufferer of what is today known as Asperger’s syndrome.
List of Famous People with Learning Disabilities
Princess Beatrice Harry Belafonte Alexander Graham Bell Tony Bennett Napoleon Bonaparte Terry Bradshaw Sir Richard Branson Erin Brockovich Lewis Carroll James Carville Cher Winston Churchill Agatha Christie Anderson Cooper Tom Cruise Walt Disney Thomas Edison Albert Einstein F. Scott Fitzgerald Fannie Flagg Bill Gates (maybe) Danny Glover Whoopi Goldberg Woody Harrelson Salma Hayek John Irving |
Thomas Jefferson Jewel John F. Kennedy John Lennon Jay Leno Steve McQueen Mozart Edward James Olmos Louis Pasteur George Patton Nelson Rockefeller Charles Schwab George C. Scott George Bernard Shaw Tommy Smothers Suzanne Somers Sylvester Stallone Jackie Stewart Vince Vaughn Jules Vern Leonardo Da Vinci Lindsay Wagner George Washington Robin Williams Woodrow Wilson Henry Winkler |
Alexander Graham Bell, another iconic man and possibly one of the most famous people who scripted a new technological revolution of the world we now know, suffered from dyslexia. He was a poor learner and struggled with traditional schooling. Imagine a world without the telephone which he invented. The mobile, smart phone, internet and nothing in regards to communication as we know it may have been around.
Sir Richard Branson
Autistic License …
There are many famous people who had learning disabilities. Napoleon Bonaparte was autistic and he was one of the greatest military strategists in the history of the world. Richard Branson, a man who made his billions on his own accord, has publicly said that he had dyslexia and perhaps that is the reason why he sees the world differently.
Write Right …
Agatha Christie is one of those famous people who not only had a global influence but inspired thousands of writers to hone their skills. She had dysgraphia. She struggled to understand written words. It is an irony of life that a person who had a learning problem of understanding written words would go onto write the most amazing mysteries weaved into words.
Walt Disney
Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison, Bill Gates, Walt Disney, Tom Cruise, John F Kennedy and John Lennon are just some of the many famous people who had difficulties with learning.
Conclusion …
Kids with learning disabilities are looked down upon, they are bullied, they lack self-confidence, feel odd about their inability to do things the way others do and they are also discouraged, often misunderstood and even castaway in many cases. Societies have steadily realized that learning disabilities are not only common but also that they are not something that don’t have to get in the way of people becoming successful and famous.