Happy President’s Day! Is neurodiversity presidential? You bet your bottom dollar (and penny, nickel, quarter, half-dollar, $2 bill) it is. Here are 7 presidential ties to neurodiversity (note: in numerous instances below, neurodiverse conditions are assumed since diagnostic tools were not yet created), starting with three of our founding fathers…
George Washington: “Washington was able to achieve all of this despite having dyslexia.” “As the first Commander-in-Chief of the United States, George Washington was able to make a variety of achievements, including creating treaties with the Native Americans and setting up the fundamental principles of the presidency, such as a two-term limit to be the president…Much of what contributed to his success was that he worked on overcoming his challenges with his learning disability.”
James Madison, lived with epilepsy. The “4th President (1809-1817), drafted the Bill of Rights. Often referred to as the Father of the Constitution. Played a leading role in the Constitutional Convention of 1787 where he helped design the checks and balances system that equalizes the roles of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government. He also created the federal system”.
Thomas Jefferson was believed to have been autistic or have Asperger’s syndrome. The “3rd President of the United States (1801-1809)…author of the Declaration of Independence…diplomat, political thinker, and founder of the Democratic Party…[was] reported to have many learning difficulties, such as stuttering and dyslexia.” Yet his personal library formed the foundation of the holdings of the Library of Congress.
Woodrow Wilson, the “28th President of the United States from 1913-1921…is known to have a (learning disability) (dyslexia). World War I leader awarded Nobel Peace Prize for Versailles Treaty, 1919, domestic reforms included 1914 creation of Federal Reserve.”
John F. Kennedy’s (JFK) – president from 1961 – 1963) “biographies are filled with tales of the President’s inattention and hyperactivity. In recent years, ADHD has been associated with centralized pain and chronic LBP.
Moreover, it is believed that JFK had ADHD characteristics.”
Yet “Kennedy was able to participate in World War II and served in the Navy, later winning a Victory Medal and Purple Heart award. He also attended Harvard and was a part of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives before becoming president.” He is also believed to have had dyslexia.
In 2010, President Obama appointed the first openly autistic White House appointee. Ari Ne’eman, who founded the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, led the National Council on Disability until 2015. Ne’eman commented in interviews “that the “national dialogue on autism” has been going on too long “without the voices of the people who should be at the center: those who are on the [autism] spectrum ourselves.
Instead of focusing on things like quality of life and civil rights, the autism community has been distracted by narrow questions of causation and cure.””
2020 election Presidential candidate Andrew Yang – “One of my boys is on the autism spectrum — I know how invaluable resources and intervention can be, particularly if adopted early on. Families struggle with this in very personal ways…These children have something unique to offer.”
