SZA publicly discloses autism diagnosis on Instagram

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter SZA has publicly shared that she has been formally diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, revealing the personal news on her private Instagram account. The artist, whose real name is Solána Rowe, posted about the diagnosis on Sunday, July 5, linking it to her intense focus on issues like artificial intelligence in music.

In her post, SZA wrote that she had finally taken the time to get formally diagnosed, describing herself as having "Aspergers/high functioning autism." She included a photo of her medical paperwork, which stated her behaviors and scores were "quite consistent with Autism Spectrum Disorder." The document noted a qualitative impairment in reciprocal social interaction and "marked sensory defensiveness," describing sensitivities to clothing, sound, taste, and touch. It also highlighted her superior cognitive functioning and linguistic gifts, while acknowledging the significant energy required for social coping strategies, which leaves her feeling anxious.

The 36-year-old artist connected her diagnosis to her recent, vehement criticism of AI music generators. In a follow-up comment, she wrote that she was "pretty sure this is why...