40+ career examples of people who learn and think differently
Wondering what kind of job or career you could have in the future? Check out these career examples of people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD, dyslexia, and more. Confronted with challenges at an early age, each found a unique path to success in their field.
Hands-on jobs
Chef
Jamie Oliver didn’t finish reading his first book until he was 38. He got his start as a pastry chef, and went on to become a bestselling cookbook author and celebrity chef.
Inventor
The man who invented the Segway could never get along with teachers. Though Dean Kamen’s mind processes information slowly, it also churned out over 400 brilliant inventions.
Jeweler
His parents wanted him to go to college, but Blaine Lewis realized that wasn’t his path. This industry-leading jeweler was good with his hands, and got his first job as a metalworker.
TV station engineer
After focusing on electronics at a technical college and getting an associate’s degree, Elias Martinez Jr. became chief engineer at KGBT in Harlingen, Texas. He has dyslexia.
Careers with action
Auto racing
From a young age, it was clear that Dusty Davis had ADHD. He has competed as a professional race car driver, and is also manager of operations at a racetrack.
Navy pilot and astronaut
He’s best known for spending a year in space. But as a kid, Scott Kelly was easily distracted in school. He started his career in the military looking for the discipline he needed for life.
Olympic athlete
Growing up, reading and spelling were a challenge for Michelle Carter (they still are), and she struggled to pay attention. Then she found her passion and talent: track and field.
Skateboard business
Casey Conner made his first longboard as a high school sophomore in an applied technology class, then turned it into a business, 907Boards. He is passionate about dyslexia awareness.
Words and language
Author
Max Brooks wrote the bestselling book World War Z and The Zombie Survival Guide. He also struggled with dyslexia and its stigma.
Comedian
Stuttering and learning disabilities were two big challenges for Nina G growing up. Drawing on her personal life, she’s working on carving out a career making people laugh.
Writer
She was told she was “just a daydreamer.” Rae Jacobson found out she had ADHD, and she didn’t let it stop her from starting a freelance writing career.
News anchor
This ABC News anchor didn’t learn to read until he was 12. Byron Pitts got his first gig as an intern for a small station in Durham, North Carolina.
TV journalist
In 2014, while reporting on the rise of ADHD, she was diagnosed with it herself. Looking back, Lisa Ling believes her lifelong challenges with ADHD helped shape her successful media career.
Creative arts
Actor
Bex Taylor-Klaus has a litany of differences — ADHD is just one of them. But “the different wiring isn’t faulty, it makes me who I am.”
Actor
Before starring in movies like The Help and Hidden Figures, Octavia Spencer was struggling with dyslexia and auditory processing.
Comic book artist
Struggling with ADHD and dyslexia as a child, Dav Pilkey turned to drawing. He’s the author of Captain Underpants, among other series.
Designer
Nike’s chief designer John Hoke always loved to draw. He calls it his first real language — something he attributes to having dyslexia.
Education illustrator
As a child, Rossie Stone couldn’t read and thought he was stupid. He loved comics and graphic novels. In his 20s, he started creating comics to help kids learn school subjects like math.
Fashion
This fashion icon never went to college. Tommy Hilfiger says that a big part of why he’s done well is the way he thinks, and he thinks differently because of dyslexia.
Media maker
Sean Douglas wasn’t diagnosed with dyslexia until his 20s. He did “very badly at school and failed everything except for gym and music.”
Singer
The frontwoman of Florence and the Machine has dyspraxia and dyslexia. Florence Welch was diagnosed at a young age and supports causes for kids with these learning differences.
TV writer, producer, and director
Brad Falchuk is a writer, producer, and director best known for his work on the hit show Glee. He has severe dyslexia, but he’s making it as a Hollywood writer.
Youth poet laureate
Can you be a poet if you have speech and auditory processing challenges? The nation’s first Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, is living proof that you can.
YouTuber
The founder and face of the YouTube channel How to ADHD has inspired millions. Through her own story and tips about ADHD, Jessica McCabe has made a video career in her own way.
Business and entrepreneurship
Economist
Economist Diane Swonk has dyslexia and struggled with math at an early age. She began as an associate economist at 22, and proved that the teachers who called her “lazy” were wrong.
Entrepreneur
You may know him from the hit show Shark Tank, but Daymond John first started making clothes in his kitchen. He has dyslexia.
Real estate mogul
She built a billion-dollar real estate empire. But Barbara Corcoran started her business with a $1,000 loan. She says dyslexia made her “more creative, more social, and more competitive.”
Talent agent
Talent agent Ari Emanuel grew up with dyslexia. As a kid, he struggled to read and was often teased. But the lessons he learned then have helped him thrive in business.
In the service of others
ADHD therapist
She can trace ADHD symptoms in her family to before the Revolutionary War. Stephanie Sarkis has made it her business to help others who are facing challenges with ADHD.
Ambassador
The first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate felt the stigma of growing up with dyslexia. Carol Moseley Braun also served as an ambassador and has worked to change our education system for the better.
Consumer advocate
Her school classmates teased her for having dyslexia. Erin Brockovich got her start as a file clerk for a law firm on a landmark case against a power company that was polluting water.
Mentoring organization founder
He was told to “just try harder.” But David Flink realized that with ADHD and dyslexia, he needed to try smarter. He founded Eye to Eye, a mentoring organization for youth who learn differently.
Mentor, poet, speaker, and activist
In school, he was labeled and placed in separate classes. LeDerick Horne turned his experiences into a career as a poet and speaker, and he now works with schools.
Politician
As a kid, the governor of California sat in the back of the class, praying not to be called on. Still nervous about reading out loud, Gavin Newsom memorizes his speeches so he doesn’t have to.
School founder
Growing up, Eric Tucker didn’t know he had ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning challenges. As an adult, he decided to found a school based on personalized learning.
Special education teacher
Anya Wasko thrives in a classroom because her “brain handles chaos pretty well.” As someone with ADHD and dyslexia, she can relate to kids who are struggling in school.
Youth advocate
She dropped out of high school when she was 15. However, with the help of a mentor, Lena McKnight returned to school and went to college. Now, she works with young people.
Science, technology, engineering, and math
Astronomer
Maggie Aderin-Pocock was diagnosed with dyslexia at 8. She hated school, but with support from her father and a love of hands-on learning, Maggie discovered a passion for telescopes.
Education scientist
She studies neuroscience and learning. Gabrielle Rappolt-Schlichtmann says that a career in science is great for people with learning differences because there’s a lot of built-in support.
Microbiologist
His biggest struggle was overcoming the feeling that he was an imposter. Collin Diedrich finally realized that he could become a scientist even if he had a learning disability.
Molecular biologist
She won a Nobel Prize. But as a kid, Carol Greider thought she was “stupid” because she needed special classes to learn to spell and sound out words.
Paleontologist
Jack Horner found the first dinosaur eggs in the Western Hemisphere. Reading and writing are still hard for him. He had fun helping make the film Jurassic Park.
Statistician
Because of his learning disability, teachers told his family Peter would never go to college. However, Peter Flom used his strength with numbers to become a statistician.
