Elon Musk Says He Has Asperger's Syndrome; Experts Explain This Kind of Autism Spectrum Disorder

When performing on the American comedy sketch show "Saturday Night Live," tech billionaire and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said he has Asperger's syndrome.

TVLine said Musk incorrectly claimed that he made history as the first person with Asperger's to host SNL - "or at least the first to admit it," Musk said.

(Photo: Getty Images)
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL - MAY 27: Elon Musk, founder and CEO of SpaceX, participates in a press conference at the Kennedy Space Center on May 27, 2020, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley were scheduled to be the first people since the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011 to be launched into space from the United States, but the launch was postponed due to bad weather. (Photo by Saul Martinez/Getty Images)

People with Asperger's syndrome perceive their surroundings differently from most. It is believed that this is Mr. Musk's first public statement about his well-being.

Mr. Musk, who has over 53 million Twitter followers, has made a joke about his use of the social media platform. A BBC report claimed he has faced backlash and even legal action due to his tweets in the past.

"I don't always have a lot of intonation or variation in how I speak... which I'm told makes for great comedy," he explained in his opening monologue as shared by SNL on its official Twitter account.

Today.com said the backlash started when viewers pointed out that Musk isn't the first person with Asperger's syndrome to host the program and that "Asperger's syndrome" is obsolete.

To address the first issue, Dan Aykroyd, who hosted "SNL" in 2003, said he was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome in the 1980s.

"Lol Dan Aykroyd STARTED snl with Asperger's, but nice try," one person tweeted.

"Dan Aykroyd is autistic and hosted SNL in 2003. In case anyone forgot," another added on their Twitter account.

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Experts Explain What Asperger's Syndrome Is

Asperger's Syndrome (AS) is a neurobiological condition in the milder edge of the autism spectrum conditions, according to Newsbytes.

Asperger's syndrome is characterized by difficulties with social contact, repeated behavior, and other characteristics that cause discomfort and confusion in the sufferer.

Individuals with AS are often known to have difficulty reading facial gestures, body language, and recognizing other people's emotions.

Since there is no standardized examination to validate the disease, narrowing down the diagnosis can be difficult.

Individuals with AS often do not show any signs of intellectual disability, making it difficult for them to recognize that their child may suffer from a disease.

They may, however, show signs of social alienation, restricting activity, and delayed motor growth, among other things.

DW.com said people with Asperger's syndrome are prone to obsessively focusing on a complex subject and have difficulty forming social relationships.

Hans Asperger, a German psychiatrist, was the first to identify the condition in 1944.

It's part of the autism spectrum, a group of disorders that can stifle a person's emotional and social growth.

Dogecoin plug

Later in the show, the CEO of SpaceX discussed the cryptocurrency Dogecoin. Science Times previously reported that Elon Musk SpaceX will send a 'Doge-1' satellite to the moon. The company will use cryptocurrency to fund the mission.

A pair of software engineers founded Dogecoin in 2013 and saw a 50 percent increase in value earlier this year after Mr. Musk called it "the people's crypto."

The logo has a Shiba Inu dog as its mascot, based on a Shiba Inu meme.

Mr. Musk initially described the currency as "an invincible vehicle that's going to take over the planet." Still, it later changed his mind, calling it a "hustle" that caused the currency's value to plummet almost immediately.

RELATED ARTICLE: Elon Musk Said SpaceX Will Literally Put Dogecoin on Moon, Is It an April Fools' Day Prank?

Check out more news and information on Elon Musk on Science Times.