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Summary
Summary
We all know the autistic genius stereotypes. The absentminded professor with untied shoelaces. The geeky Silicon Valley programmer who writes bulletproof code but can't get a date. But there is another set of (tiny) geniuses whom you would never add to those ranks--child prodigies. We mostly know them as the chatty and charming tykes who liven up daytime TV with violin solos and engaging banter. These kids aren't autistic, and there has never been any kind of scientific connection between autism and prodigy.
Until now.
Over the course of her career, psychologist Joanne Ruthsatz has quietly assembled the largest-ever research sample of these children. Their accomplishments are epic. One could reproduce radio tunes by ear on a toy guitar at two years old. Another was a thirteen-year-old cooking sensation. And what Ruthsatz's investigation revealed is nothing short of astonishing. Though the prodigies aren't autistic, many have autistic family members. Each prodigy has an extraordinary memory and a keen eye for detail--well-known but often-overlooked strengths associated with autism.
Ruthsatz and her daughter and coauthor, Kimberly Stephens, now propose a startling possibility: What if the abilities of child prodigies stem from a genetic link with autism? And could prodigies-- children who have many of the strengths of autism but few of the challenges--be the key to a long-awaited autism breakthrough?
In The Prodigy's Cousin , Ruthsatz and Stephens narrate the poignant stories of the children they have studied, including that of a two-year-old who loved to spell words like "algorithm" and "confederation," a six-year-old painter who churned out masterpieces faster than her parents could hang them, and a typically developing thirteen-year-old who smacked his head against a church floor and woke up a music prodigy.
This inspiring tale of extraordinary children, indomitable parents, and a researcher's unorthodox hunch is essential reading for anyone interested in the brain and human potential. Ruthsatz and Stephens take us from the prodigies' homes to the depths of the autism archives to the cutting edge of genetics research, all while upending our understanding of what makes exceptional talent possible.
Author Notes
JOANNE RUTHSATZ is an assistant professor of psychology at The Ohio State University. She has been interviewed on CBS's 60 Minutes , and her research has been published in Intelligence , Behavior Genetics , Human Heredity , Journal for the Education of the Gifted , and Behavioral and Brain Sciences , and has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal , The Atlantic , Slate , and Scientific American . She has a Ph.D. in experimental psychology from Case Western Reserve University.
KIMBERLY STEPHENS is a freelance journalist. She has coauthored academic papers on child prodigies and is a member of the D.C. Science Writers Association. She is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School.
Reviews (3)
Kirkus Review
An exploration of the quest for a link between high-functioning autistic individuals and child prodigies, co-authored by mother-daughter team Ruthsatz (Psychology/Ohio State Univ.) and journalist Stephens. In 1998, Ruthsatz, then a graduate student, was exploring what makes prodigies tick. Her particular interest was the nature vs. nurture debate. Her hypothesis was that three factors were involved in their success: "general intelligence, practice time and skills specific to a particular field." While meeting a young boy with exceptional musical talent, a chance encounter with his autistic cousin prompted her to wonder what they might have in common. Over time, a picture began to emerge: "extraordinary memories, eagle eyes for detail, and voracious appetites for their chosen subjects." Ruthsatz broadened her inquiry to include autistic children who became outstanding artists, as well as child prodigies with a wide range of talents, including a young gourmet chef. With modest grant money to pursue her research, she was able to include genetic testing in her journey. By the end of 2011, Ruthsatz "had investigated nine prodigies." Admittedly, this is a small sample, but the results were provocative. She discovered that autism was indeed prevalent in the prodigies' families, suggesting a genetic component. In several cases, genetic analysis showed a particular mutation carried by prodigies and their autistic relatives. Aside from the fact that her subjects were not chosen randomlyparents had to be willing for the interview to take placethe autistic children were chosen from the high end of the spectrum. Ruthsatz believes that behavioral therapy for autistic children should positively reinforce their potential talents, as well as social and language skills. The authors do not claim to have definitive answers, but they raise fascinating questions about the extent to which autism confers benefits as well as disabilities. An intriguing exploration of a unique hypothesis with broad implications. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Might prodigies and children with autism be genetically linked? Yes. Ruthsatz, an Ohio State psychology professor who specializes in prodigies, and Stephens, a journalist, convincingly argue that kids who have reached professional status in a demanding field before the age of 10 may well share traits with kids with the brain-development disorder characterized by repetitive behavior and difficulties with social interaction. Indeed, many prodigies are related to people with autism. Boys outnumber girls 3.5 to 1 when it comes to being prodigies and 4 to 1 when it comes to suffering from autism, so, not surprisingly, most of the real children in this story are male, too. The authors conducted extensive in-person interviews, profiling 20-year-old Greg Grossman, for example, executive chef of a high-end Southampton restaurant who also co-runs an organization that delivers paleo meals to hundreds of gyms. People with an interest in autism or prodigies will be intrigued by the interesting hypothesis posed by this psychologist-journalist duo, who provide a lovely epilogue about what their young prodigies are doing today.--Springen, Karen Copyright 2016 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Ruthsatz (psychology, Ohio State Univ. at Mansfield) and reporter Stephens have written a fascinating book about the connection between prodigies (commonly defined as a child who has reached professional status in a demanding field before age ten) and children on the autism spectrum. In her studies, Ruthsatz began to notice that many prodigies have relatives with autism. This surprising finding, and the author's continued investigation, led her to the conclusion that the link between autism and talent is almost inevitable. The authors' case studies of such gifted persons point out that some of their abilities-extraordinary attention to detail and tendency toward obsession-are clearly similar to those of people with autism. Scientific research has yet to isolate one particular gene that results in prodigious talent; likewise, there is not a single genetic pathway to autism (thus the saying, "If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism"). VERDICT Along with intriguing insights into the minds of extraordinarily smart people, this work-like Steve -Silberman's NeuroTribes-offers a new and far more positive approach toward autism. It should appeal to parents and educators, as well as fans of the late -Oliver Sacks.-Elizabeth Safford, -Boxford Town Lib., MA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Table of Contents
| Introduction | p. 1 |
| Chapter 1 A Warehouse of a Mind | p. 9 |
| Chapter 2 What Is a Prodigy? | p. 32 |
| Chapter 3 The Tiniest Chef | p. 46 |
| Chapter 4 Growing a Prodigy | p. 64 |
| Chapter 5 The Evidence Mounts | p. 82 |
| Chapter 6 Chromosome 1 | p. 99 |
| Chapter 7 The Empathy Puzzle | p. 118 |
| Chapter 8 Another Path to Prodigy | p. 135 |
| Chapter 9 Lightning in a Bottle | p. 159 |
| Chapter 10 The Recovery Enigma | p. 176 |
| Chapter 11 The Next Quest | p. 193 |
| Epilogue: A Wide-Open Future | p. 209 |
| Acknowledgments | p. 219 |
| Notes | p. 223 |
| Index | p. 267 |
