"Einstein Syndrome," Do You Fit It?

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I read somewhere that Einstein had problems counting small change from his pockets and couldn't tie his shoes very well, yet he could work out complex math problems in his head. Shouldn't these traits make him more of a very high-functioning autistic?

I'm female and I talked early, but a lot of the other traits describe me. English was my second language, but I learned quickly and was reading at fourth grade level in first grade. I get obsessed with topics and research them thorougly. I was late at some self-help skills, such as toilet training and tying my shoes. I also have a high verbal I.Q.

I have:

Close relatives in analytical occupation (my dad's side of the family is full of engineers)
Close Relatives Who talked late (my dad)
Parents have high education level (both parents)
High IQ (not super-high, but above average; I'm not sure whether I should count this one or not)
High analytical and/or musical abilities (I have some musical talent, but don't like playing music very much so haven't really explored it; people have been telling me I have an analytical mind since I was a toddler)
Unusual concentration and absorption in what they are doing
Highly selective interests with achievement in some areas and ineptness in others
Precocious ability to read and/or use numbers and/or use computers (I'm average at math and computers, but was always better than average at reading)
Late in socializing with their peers
Strong-willed (depends on the situation)

I didn't talk late, though, so I'm not sure this "Einstein Syndrome" applies to me. And why is the new name needed? It sounds like AS/HFA to me.

My dad fits it. Me? Nah. I'm pretty mediocre.

Here is an interesting quote on evaluating and diagnosing autism spectrum disorder by Lorna Wing in an Autism Connect (United Kingdom) interview:

It has nothing to do with music being an art. Music skills and math skills tend to go together, and it's speculated they share something in brain development or structure. In a way, music is as analytical (in the sense used in the book) as math, whereas visual arts are more visual-spatial rather than logical-analytical.

Somebody on the board wrote that what Thomas Sowell doesn't understand is the autistic spectrum.

No, that is exactly what he is not saying. He is saying it might look like autism when kids are 2-3 because they can't talk, but the Einstein Syndrome children grow up to not have autism

There is a whole lot of misdiagnosis going on here because everyone is on high alert saying that a child not responding to their name is a "symptom of autism" when actuality its also a symptom of sensory processing disorder.

I believe whole heartedly that all of the children described in that book are actually high IQ Sensory Processing Disorder children, and some occupational therapy could have solved a lot of their problems.

I agree with the criticism of the book - that it doesn't delve into the neurological components of the children not talking, like sensory processing.

I have close relatives who talked late, high IQ, high analytical abilities, strong willed. Used to have the good concentration, highly selective interests and a precocious ability to read and do maths.

I wouldn't say I fit it. I didn't learn to speak late, and I was always sociable just socially inappropriate. I'm not really a mathmatician-engineer sort of person.

I wonder if my uncle (the close relative who learned to speak late) may fit this!

The important point is "Extremely good memory (to photographic) ". He is talking about Savantism, which is itself a spectrum. At the point where the Autistic spectrum intersects the Savant spectrum, you get Einstein Syndrome. As far as treating ourselves like equals to the great minds of the century, we who are savantistic regardless of whether we are also autistic are equals to the great minds of the century. So is everybody else. Greater ability at a task does not make a better person. I believe in Equality of peoples regardless of brain wiring, interests, ability or skill.

Just because you have a photographic memory does not make you a savant or autisitc. The book is not saying any of the kids are autistic. Its saying they were misdiagnosed as autisitc. At a young age they met some of the qualificaitons to be autistic but at an older age were extremely sociable.

Those of us with kids who were extremely worried when they didn't talk took great comfort reading the book that even though your child may not be very responsive at a young age, they will be later in life and be intelligent. The whole point of the book and the Camaratas is that the children grow up to be nonautistic. It was just a misdiagnosis.

I believe further that Einstein Syndrome is really High IQ Sensory Processing. Sensory Processing Disorder looks a lot like autism in the tantrums and lack of speech until age 3 or 4. You have your regular IQ Sensory Processing Disorder kids and then you have your high IQ Sensory Processing disorder kids, the ones that like to read and read well at a young age.

The kids described in the book have Sensory Processing Disorder. They may be walking on their toes (a sensory thing), but they are not autistic.

It seems a lot of people are just reading the book wrong. Its fine to say you are autisitc and intelligent. That's one thing. But, the kids in the book are not autistic. That's the whole point of the book.