Rosie O’Donnell Says Bill Gates’ Research Team Used to ‘Call Every Few Months’ to Try and Test Her for Autism
"This is back when there wasn't all that much research going on," the former talk show host tells Amy Poehler on "Good Hang" The post Rosie O’Donnell Says Bill Gates’ Research Team Used to ‘Call Every Few Months’ to Try and Test Her for Autism appeared first on TheWrap .
In the early days of her talk show career, Rosie O’Donnell found herself the subject of interest for a research project spearheaded by the tech billionaire Bill Gates. The subject of her investigation was whether she fell on the autism spectrum. O’Donnell recounted this on an episode of "Good Hang With Amy Poehler," where Poehler inquired about O’Donnell's potential neurodivergence, based on her unique information processing skills.
"When I was first on my show, Bill Gates was doing a large study in the ’90s at the University of Seattle about autism," O’Donnell recounted. "This was back when there wasn’t much research being done in the field." The researchers would reach out to her "every few months at the first year" to assess her capabilities. One of the critical factors in their evaluation was her remarkable ability to retain and recite a vast array of lyrics and even entire TV commercials.
O’Donnell demonstrated this talent by reciting a Primatene Mist commercial, which she promptly completed with a confident "There’s no reason, Amy!" Upon finishing, Poehler highlighted O’Donnell's unique method of storing emotional information. O’Donnell acknowledged this, noting that her autistic child has profoundly influenced her life.
"I think that, you know, my autistic child has taught me patience and introspection, to be more introspective about my own stuff going on," she shared.
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