The Issues With ‘Asperger’s’

On Saturday Night Live this week, Telsa CEO and <a href="https://devonprice.medium.com/kung-pow-penis-and-the-bussy-boy-f32e2cc6d7d2" rel="noopener">Grimes’ paramour</a> Elon Musk came out as having Asperger’s syndrome. During his opening monologue, Musk joked that he was the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/elon-musks-quips-about-his-aspergers-to-kick-off-snl-host-gig-11620534790#:~:text=Elon%20Musk%20kicked%20off%20his,the%20first%20to%20admit%20it.%E2%80%9D" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">first-ever SNL host to have the disorder </a>— or at least the first to admit to having it openly. There’s a couple of issues with that remark. The first is that SNL very much had an openly Autistic host in the past, <a href="https://devonprice.medium.com/autism-is-a-creative-boon-b9974e137099" rel="noopener">former cast member Dan Aykroyd</a>. For years, Aykroyd has been vocal about being Autistic and has discussed how his own autistic special interest in the paranormal <a href="https://childmind.org/blog/dan-aykroyd-says-being-on-the-spectrum-helped-him-make-ghostbusters/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">informed the writing of the 1984 film Ghostbusters</a>. SNL has also been hosted by comedian Chris Rock, who came out last year as having Nonverbal Learning Disorder, <a href="https://www.health.com/condition/neurological-disorders/nvld-chris-rock-learning-disorder" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">which is on the Autism spectrum</a>. Frequent SNL musical guest <a href="http://davidbyrne.com/explore/american-utopia/press/still-making-sense#:~:text=In%20his%20bestselling%202012%20book,%E2%80%9Can%20anthropologist%20from%20Mars%E2%80%9D." rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">David Byrne is openly Autistic too</a>. So Musk is far from the first out, proud Autistic to grace the Rockefeller Plaza stage. <a href="https://thedisabilitydiva.medium.com/disabled-women-need-role-models-2a500058c7ea">Visit Now</a>