Other books

by Norm Ledgin

    In 2000 Norm Ledgin made waves among historians and biographers when Diagnosing Jefferson: Evidence of a Condition that Guided His Beliefs, Behavior, and Personal Associations  was published by Future Horizons, Inc., of Arlington, TX.  His thesis was that Thomas Jefferson, by reason of idiosyncrasies recorded by the Third President’s contemporaries and repeated by countless writers since, was on the autism-Asperger’s continuum.  Jefferson appeared to meet criteria that, in modern times, would result in a diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome.

    Among roughly 700 Jefferson biographies, Norm’s book jumped quickly into Amazon’s top ten sellers and stayed there for two years, generally in seventh or eighth place or higher.  The appearance of Diagnosing Jefferson in the literature of higher-functioning autism began to give hope to countless young people in that category—hope for achievement in spite of social deficits.  When Ledgin spoke to teachers and parents around the country, many audience members approached to tell him how the book had changed the lives of young people in their classes or their families.

    Shortly afterwards Norm made briefer studies of other historic figures—notably Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Paul Robeson, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and other scientists or artistic performers.  In all, thirteen persons made it into Asperger’s and Self-Esteem: Insight and Hope Through Famous Role Models, published by Future Horizons in 2002.  Again there was acclaim, and that work has since gone into a paperback edition and a French edition titled Ces autistes qui changent le monde (Those autistics who changed the world).  Dr. Temple Grandin, autistic animal scientist and bestselling author, “insisted” on writing the foreword for this book, according to Ledgin.  Comments by Dr. Grandin had also appeared in his Jefferson work.

    Future Horizons continues to be the main source for either book, with Diagnosing Jefferson priced at $24.95 and Asperger's and Self-Esteem at $19.95, directly from the publisher -- futurehorizons-autism.com. Both are also available by ordering through bookstores or online sources at competitive pricing.