Greta Thunberg: Asperger’s is my Superpower
Featured Image by Tiburi, Pixabay.com
In November, Greta Thunberg attended the COP26 (the United Nations Climate Change Conference) in Scotland, where she delivered a speech to protestors, warning that the politicians’ words were empty and that COP26 had been a “greenwashing” failure.
Greta Thunberg is known worldwide for her environmental activism and her ability to challenge world leaders on their climate policies. In 2018, when she was 15 years old, she started a sit-down protest outside the Swedish parliament called “School Strike for Climate”, and in 2019 she became The Time’s youngest Person of the Year. After her “School Strike” protest gained global recognition, young people around the world joined the strike and the #FridaysforFuture movement was formed.
When she was 11 years old, Thunberg became depressed as a result of the global inaction to the climate crisis and was later diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (now part of the Autism Spectrum), obsessive-compulsive disorder, and selective mutism.
In 2018, during her first TEDx talk, Thunberg attributed her orator skills to her selective mutism, stating that she “only speaks when necessary”. Thunberg has also been a keen advocate for the ASD community, calling her Asperger’s her “superpower”.
“I have Aspergers and that means I’m sometimes a bit different from the norm. And – given the right circumstances – being different is a superpower.”
At Exceptional Individuals, we have been inspired by Thunberg’s inspirational passion and commitment to her cause. She is the perfect example of someone who has been able to use the traits of her autism as a strength and make a tangible impact on the world. People with autism can have the ability to focus intently on something, often known as their ‘special interest’. With the right support and adaptations, people with autism can draw upon their unique strengths, and maybe even change the world.
