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Did Albert Einstein Have Autism

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Einstein had autism?

A major thought that people have with Einstein is that he was one of the greatest minds of his time. The thing about this is that many of his thoughts were plagued with distractions and other difficult concerns. It was even reported that he would act out in some cases when he was not feeling comfortable. This is a difficult thing to think about when it comes to this legendary thinker. He was no Einstein to quote the famous proverb that many people use to this day but he was still able to work with many of the most important scientific thoughts of history.

He Found Language And Communication Difficult To Master

Einstein had a very unique way of looking at things as he explained himself, I very rarely think in words at all. A thought comes, and I may try to express in words afterwards.

Possibly as a result, Einstein became notorious for giving confusing lectures, and he never felt comfortable delivering speeches, making small talk with people, or mingling with people. He was often forgetful of everyday items such as keys, and he quickly became known as the stereotypical absent-minded professor.

Although it was out of his comfort zone, after receiving a Nobel Prize, Einstein became a bit of a worldwide celebrity. He toured the globe, meeting world leaders and other famous people. In one trip to Japan, he was treated like The Beatles with screaming crowds all trying to catch a glimpse of the genius.

Did Einstein And Newton Have Autism

By Hazel Muir

THEY were certainly geniuses, but did Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton also have autism? According to autism expert Simon Baron-Cohen, they might both have shown many signs of Asperger syndrome, a form of the condition that doesnt cause learning difficulties. Although he admits that it is impossible to make a definite diagnosis for someone who is no longer living, Baron-Cohen says he hopes this kind of analysis can shed light on why some people with autism excel in life, while others struggle.

Autism is heritable, and there are clues that the genes for autism are linked to those that confer

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Help Your Students Cope With The Crisis

The response to the COVID-19 Pandemic is unprecedented. Because of our unique role in childrens K-12 education, including online speech therapy, we feel a responsibility to do what we can to assist schools, therapists, and students with this transition to online learning and seclusion. Our therapists are providing complimentary Support Sessions to the countrys youth to ensure that our students remain engaged and supported. We are also assisting schools by training their therapists for remote therapy.

Want to learn more about Einstein Syndrome and how Global Teletherapy partner schools address this?

We encourage you to reach out to your schools special education director and reference this article. Our therapists are well-trained to address language delays and developmental milestone concerns.

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Most Famous Autistic People in the World

Another study concerning Einstein’s brain was published in the British medical journal The Lancet on June 19, 1999. In this paper, the external surface characteristics of Einstein’s brain were compared to those from the brains of 35 men . Unlike the brain of these 35 men, Einstein’s brain had an unusual pattern of grooves on both right and left parietal lobes. This particular area of the parietal lobe is thought to be important for mathematical abilities and spatial reasoning. Einstein’s brain had a much shorter lateral sulcus that was partially missing. His brain was also 15% wider than the other brains. The researchers think that these unique brain characteristics may have allowed better connections between neurons important for math and spatial reasoning.

Although these results are interesting, it must be remembered that thisstudy had only ONE brain in the experimental group…Albert Einstein’sbrain. It remains to be seen if other mathematical geniuses also showthese distinguishing brain characteristics. Moreover, the study did notinvestigate the brain at a microscopic level. In other words, the studysays nothing about how neurons in these brains were connected and ofcourse, could not tell if there were differences in the way the neuronsfunctioned.

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Was Albert Einstein Autistic

According to New Scientist and BBC News, he may have had Asperger’s or high functioning autism. However, it is impossible to tell from the modern perspective but there are some traits to consider. The article Einstein and Newton Showed Signs of Autism notes some signs of autism that are apparent in Einstein’s case.

Did The Mind That Probed The Mysteries Of Time And Space Have Autism

On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies, was published by Albert Einstein in 1905 and changed the world, leading to the atomic bomb, space travel, and new frontiers of human scientific understanding. Einsteins importance to the modern age is unquestionable. But many people now wonder: was Einstein autistic?

As most applied behavioral analysts are well aware, delayed speech development is one of the hallmarks of individuals with an autism spectrum disorder . Its not the only diagnostic element but Einstein also exhibited others of the 16 possible criteria outlined by the DSM V.

For instance, even as an adult, Einstein established a rigid set of expectations for his wife to follow, including three meals per day served in his room and strict expectations for cleanliness and organization of his study and desk.

This sounds a lot like another criteria, Insistence on sameness, inflexible adherence to routines, or ritualized patterns specified in the DSM V.

Notoriously confusing as a lecturer and having difficulty with small talk, Einstein preferred to spend his time alone sailing and thinking rather than socializing. Although he was married and was able to socialize well enough to have numerous affairs during that time, it was clear that he wasnt comfortable around other people for the most part.

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He Found It Hard To Make Friends And Preferred To Be Alone

Described by others as a dreamy, lonely kid, young Einstein found that making friends was hard.

Even later in life, he spent much of his time alone either on a boat or in his study.

In his own words, I am truly a lone traveler and have never belonged to my country, my home, my friends, or even my immediate family, with my whole heart in the face of all these ties, I have never lost a sense of distance and a need for solitude.

Although Einstein was shy and preferred to be alone, he did have many romantic interests, close relationships with friends , and a wicked sense of humour.

He is well-known for many hilarious quotes including, When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. Thats relativity.

Einstein Newton Mozart Achieved Genius Through Autism

Autistic Teenager Tipped for Nobel Prize Higher IQ than Einstein

Famous and brilliant individuals in the fields of science, politics and the arts, such has Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Thomas Jefferson and Mozart, accomplished success through autism, according to a leading psychiatrist.

Speaking at a meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists Academic Psychiatry conference, Prof. Michael Fitzgerald, Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College, Dublin, said that the relationship between creativity and psychiatric disorder is not a myth, arguing that the characteristics linked to autism spectrum disorders were the same as those associated with creative genius.

He argued that the link between ASDs, creativity and genius were caused by common genetic causes.

Psychiatric disorders can also have positive dimensions. Im arguing the genes for autism/Aspergers, and creativity are essentially the same. We dont know which genes they are yet or how many there are, but we are talking about multiple genes of small effect. Every case is unique because people have varying numbers of the genes involved, the Telegraph quoted Prof. Fitzgerald, as saying.

These produce people who are highly focused, dont fit into the school system, and who often have poor social relationships and eye contact. They can be quite paranoid and oppositional, and usually highly moral and ethical.

He also illustrated the link between the musician Kurt Cobains childhood Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and his later creativity.

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Albert Einstein Loved The Famous Tongue Photo

On his 72nd birthday, Einstein was leaving an event held in his honor. As he was getting into his car, photographers asked him to smile for the camera. Einstein, however, was sick and tired of grinning for a photographâhe’d be doing it all eveningâso he popped his tongue out instead. Einstein liked the photo so much, he put it on his greeting cards.

He Was Consumed By Complex Topics

It is well known that many people with autism have a talent for understanding complex systems from computers, to music, to science.

When Einstein was working on a physics problem, hed become so fixated on solving it, hed completely block out whatever was going on around him. He would have such an intense focus, that these thoughts would consume his life for long periods of time.

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Self Awareness And Sensory Issues

Self-awareness is a considerable issue on the autism spectrum. Many individuals on the spectrum have difficulty processing sensory input, which may lead to trouble with body awareness including proper posturing and distinguishing the self from others. In the book, Dear Professor Einstein, a grieving father suffering the loss of his eleven-year-old son to polio asked Einstein how he could believe that the child no longer existed after death. Einstein replied that the human experience as individuals is a delusion.

The notion that Einstein perceived the human condition in such a way is quite similar to the theory of mind, that many individuals with autism experience. Many people on the spectrum have difficulty understanding that other people have emotions and thoughts that differ from their own.

Finally In The Words Of Albert Einstein

Did Albert Einstein Have Autism? Autism Autismawareness ...

My passionate sense of social justice and social responsibility has always contrasted oddly with my pronounced lack of need for direct contact with other human beings and human communities. I am truly a lone traveler and have never belonged to my country, my home, my friends, or even my immediate family, with my whole heart in the face of all these ties, I have never lost a sense of distance and a need for solitude…

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Historical Geniuses And Their Possible Mental Disorders

Studies have shown that there are much higher instances of mental disorder in political leaders and creative geniuses than in the general population. And while it’s impossible to be completely sure of a correct diagnosis of a historical figure, that hasn’t stopped researchers from making educated guesses. Here’s a speculative look at the mental health of 11 of history’s big thinkers.

1. ABRAHAM LINCOLN // DEPRESSION

The Great Emancipator managed to lead the country through one of its more trying times, despite suffering from severe depression most of his life. According to one Lincoln biographer, letters left by the president’s friends referred to him as “the most depressed person they’ve ever seen.” On at least one occasion, he was so overcome with “melancholy” that he collapsed. Both his mother and numerous members of his father’s family exhibited similar symptoms of severe depression, indicating he was probably biologically susceptible to the illness. Lincoln is even assumed to be the author of a poem published in 1838, “The Suicide’s Soliloquy,” which contains the lines:

Hell! What is hell to one like meWho pleasures never knew By friends consigned to misery,By hope deserted too?

2. LUDWIG VON BEETHOVEN // BIPOLAR DISORDER

3. EDVARD MUNCH // PANIC ATTACKS

The world’s most famous panic attack occurred in Olso during January 1892. Munch recorded the episode in his diary:

4. MICHELANGELO // AUTISM

5. CHARLES DICKENS // DEPRESSION

Famous People With Autism

While autism spectrum disorders have gained recent notoriety and been the subject of much scientific research, it is not a new disorder. Men and women from across the world and throughout history have shown evidence of having an autism spectrum disorder. Some of these people have names that are highly recognizable and have accomplished great success in their field. Some have made amazing discoveries and been political leaders while others have shifted our way of thinking about math, the universe and science. These well-known people can serve as positive role models for children with autism on their way to adulthood.

While there was no evaluation process during the era of many of these famous people, there is evidence that points toward autism or one of the autism spectrum disorders.

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When It Came To Love Albert Einstein Was No Genius

Einstein, who married twice, had multiple extramarital affairsâincluding one dalliance with a possible Russian spy. His first marriage with Mileva MariÄ, a physicist he met at the Swiss Polytechnic School, soured after the birth of their third child. As their marriage crumbled, Einstein imposed a list of brusqueâif not cruelâdemands which included: “You will obey the following points in your relations with me: 1. You will not expect intimacy from me ⦠2. You will stop talking to me if I request it.” Unsurprisingly, they divorced. Later, Einstein married his cousin, Elsa Löwenthal.

When Albert Einstein Was Born His Misshapen Head Terrified The Room

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On March 14, 1879, baby Einstein emerged with a “swollen, misshapen head and a grossly overweight body,” according to Denis Brian’s book, Einstein: A Life. When she got a look at him later, the chunky child terrified Einstein’s grandmother, who screamed, “Much too fat! Much too fat!” Thankfully, Albert would eventually grow into his body.

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Although Diagnosis Is Impossible New Research Suggests A Link Between Autism And Genius

Of course, its not really possible to diagnose historical figures on the basis of spotty records and suppositions. Autism experts are divided, with some believing that the evidence supports the idea that Einstein had Aspergers or another form of high-functioning autism. Others point out that little concrete is known about his childhood, with no medical opinions surviving, and that as an adult he exhibited traits that are unusual among ASD patients.

Contemporaries simply viewed him as an eccentric genius, but hes not alone in being viewed by modern experts as someone who suffered from mild autism long before the disorder was commonly recognized.

The ties between autism and genius are hazy but real. The very fact that the trope of the eccentric genius exists suggests that this is an old and possibly fundamental connection. What makes either group distinctive are differences in brain structure between them and neurotypical individuals. A brain that is wired to allow genius may also be wired to be autistic.

In 2015, a study by researchers at the Ohio State University confirmed a potential chromosomal link between genius and autism. Families that are more likely to have autistic children are also more likely to have geniuses. The correspondence is not necessarily one to one, but the study certainly demonstrates increased odds that Einstein, and other historical geniuses, could have been on the spectrum.

He Was Fixated On His Interests And Didnt Join In With Other Kids

Einstein wasnt really interested in the energetic games and activities the other kids played he instead preferred to read books, play the violin, work on puzzles, figure out tricky math problems, make crazy constructions from building blocks, and build elaborate houses out of cards.

While many people believe that Einstein failed at school, overall, he was actually an average student, but always excelled in math and science. As an adult when shown an article with the headline Greatest living mathematician failed in mathematics, he laughed confirming, Before I was fifteen I had mastered differential and integral calculus.

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So Did He Have Autism

While researchers can speculate about Einstein having autism, the truth is well never really know. Trying to diagnose someone with autism based on biographical information is not reliable, and his behaviour could be due to a few different causes.

For example, some researchers think that just the simple fact that Einstein was so intelligent could have shaped his personality he may have just been an eccentric genius. Perhaps he was so fascinated with the problems he was working on, he had little time or desire for anything else.

So while opinion remain divided between the experts, it is likely that we will never know for sure.

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. Albert Einstein

Were Einstein And Newton Afflicted By An Obscure Form Of Autism

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Albert Einstein and Sir Isaac Newton both reshaped our views of the universe and yet both may also have been suffering from a form of autism, a leading expert on the condition suggests.

Simon Baron-Cohen, professor of developmental psychopathology at the University of Cambridge, believes the two men could have had Asperger’s syndrome, the least severe form of autism, which does not cause learning difficulties.

Autism is a spectrum of disorders, according to the National Autistic Society. A spokeswoman said: “The principal three characteristics of Asperger’s are problems with social interaction, problems with communication being obsessively interested in a subject to the exclusion of all else and problems with imagination.”

Newton, who was Lucasian professor of mathematics at Cambridge, hardly spoke, became so engrossed in his work that he forgot to eat, and was remote or even bad-tempered with his few friends. His eccentricities included lecturing to an empty room if no students showed up.

Einstein was a loner who repeated sentences obsessively until the age of seven, and as an adult gave lectures that were confusing rather than deep.

More than 500,000 people in Britain have some form of autism, a developmental disability that affects social relationships and communications. People with Asperger’s syndrome have normal or even above-average IQs.

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