Did Emily Brontë Have Autism? Author Suffered From Spectrum Disorder, Biography Says

English novelist Emily Brontë may have suffered from a form of autism formerly known as Asperger syndrome, according to her biographer. During an event at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on Sunday in the U.K., Claire Harman -- author of recent biography "Charlotte Brontë: A Life" -- discussed many of Brontë's traits, some of which she said resembled symptoms related to Asperger's, the Guardian reported. Brontë's personality characteristics and behaviors -- like her genius, her dislike of leaving home, social discomfort and sudden bursts of anger and frustrations -- could have brought about a prognosis of the disorder if she was alive in more modern-day times, Harman added. Harman recounted one of the "Wuthering Heights" author's temperamental instances that was documented by biographer Elizabeth Gaskell, who wrote in an 1857 biography on Charlotte Brontë about a time her younger sister left the family dog "half blind and stupefied" after punching the dog in the face for dirtying the laundry. Harman said the incident was "just a sign of Emily's strength and character."