Results: Special Needs -- Special Talent

Having a diagnosis like autism or Down syndrome may at first glance seem to limit you, but some of these amazing men and woman have taken their diagnosis as a challenge, not a hindrance. The AutistiX is a six-piece rock band out of the U.K. who blast the kind of straight-ahead, guitar-heavy riffs you'd expect from a a country that gave us The Clash and The Rolling Stones. But while The AutistiX may have fairly conventional rock and roll inspirations, the band itself is hardly your average garage outfit. Billing themselves as "a unique rock band" the group's three youngest members–Drummer Saul Zur-Szpiro, bassist Luke Steels, and guitarist Jack Beaven-Duggan all reside at different points along the autism spectrum. And although their autism manifests differently for each of them, all three are in perfect sync when it comes to the music. The band performs with the message that autism is not going to hold them down. The band has had a 2015 documentary made about their group and music, many songs dealing with what they deal with every day of their lives. Have you heard of the band?

Many start-up bands dream of achieving fame one day. That the band Flame achieved that dream is remarkable in and of itself. But the band is extraordinary in another respect: Each musician has a physical or mental disability. Flame is the only touring band in the world to be wholly composed of special needs members. The upstate New York band's members live with conditions that include Down syndrome, cognitive delays, autism, cerebral palsy and blindness. The band has been around since 2003, when a talent contest got them together. They have toured the world, play special events, and have even performed at Eunice Kennedy Shriver's funeral . Have you heard about this band?

Some of our greatest musical geniuses have had great success despite physical or mental disabilities. Here is a partial list of some of them. Are any on this list artists you enjoy?