When one thinks of autism, it might come naturally to believe that having this disability, or any for that matter, is a drawback. So how does one explain that Albert Einstein, one of the most profound geniuses in our existence, was said to have suffered from autism? And he is not an exception. Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Amadeus Mozart along with many other geniuses are linked to this disorder. So I ask the question, can autism be linked to genius?
According to an article in Time Magazine in 2012, its been found that there is a strong correlation between the two. Three main behaviors linked to autism are attention to detail, an expansive working memory, and social deficits. In a recent study conducted by Joanne Ruthsatz of Ohio State University at Mansfield and her colleague Jourdan Urbach of Yale University, eight child prodigies were asked to take a series of tests that measured these behaviors. The studies showed that three of eight children fit along the autism spectrum. Almost all of them showed some autistic traits, especially “in working memory, in which all the children scored above the 99th percentile.” (Child Geniuses 8) In addition, many famous geniuses were known to have the inability to communicate. For example, it is said that Albert Einstein had trouble finding a job, “despite his intelligence.” (Famous Autistic People 1) People often say that sometimes we think someone is so smart that they are unable to communicate to the average person what they are meaning to say.
During the experiment done by Ruthsatz and Urbach, they used a control group of 174 “normal” adults. To show a direct correlation between autism and genius, it would be essential to test a group without the disorder, a group with autism, and then a group of genius. It is hard to consider what is genius for that matter, considering one of the prodigies measured only had an IQ of 108, which is on the upper end of normal. I do think the researchers did a good job with the test itself, for they used different techniques and tests to determine autistic tendencies that any normal child being diagnosed would take. Autism “roots in very early brain development,” (What is Autism 3) so tracking brain activity of a control and experimental group over the developmental years would be more concrete evidence. If these studies stand true, our perception of disability could be changed forever.
Sources:
- “What Is Autism?” Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks Inc, n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism>.
- Fitzgerald, Kelly. “Child Geniuses And Autism Connected.” Medical News Today. MediLexicon International, 10 Nov. 2012. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/252637.php>.
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Szalavitz, Maia. “What Genius and Autism Have in Common | TIME.com.”Time. Time, 10 July 2012. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://healthland.time.com/2012/07/10/what-child-prodigies-and-autistic-people-have-in-common/>.
- “Famous Autistic People.” Autism MythBusters RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Sept. 2014. <http://autismmythbusters.com/general-public/famous-autistic-people/>.
I actually coached a hockey team of kids with autism. Going into it I was scared I wasn’t going to be capable of being responsible for kids with a disability. After my first hour with them I couldn’t even tell there was anything wrong with majority of the kids. I do intact think autism equals genius because of my experience working with kids. Working with kids with autism, I learned that they might as well not even have autism. Majority of the kids I couldn’t even tell they had it. And the ones that did, they would ramble off all these facts about everything from knowing the country’s 50 capitals to knowing how many calories were in a candy bar and I was completely blown away. Thats why despite all the studies, my first hand experience has shown me enough to conclude that children with autism do intact have potential to be some of the world’s greatest genius’s.