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Boy Genius Diagnosed With Autism has Higher IQ Than Einstein

05/11/2013

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Repost from the NY Daily News


By Carol Kuruvilla / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/autistic-boy-genius-iq-higher-einstein-article-1.1340923#ixzz2SzHMHvmy


Kristine Barnett noticed that her little boy Jacob - whom doctors had tagged as autistic - seemed to have a fascination with patterns. So she took him out of his school's special ed program and let him study the things he's passionate about. Now Jacob is on his way to winning a Nobel Prize.


As a child, doctors told Jacob Barnett’s parents that their autistic son would probably never know how to tie his shoes.

But experts say the 14-year-old Indiana prodigy has an IQ higher than Einstein’s and is on the road to winning a Nobel Prize. He’s given TedX talks and is working toward a master’s degree in quantum physics.

The key, according to mom Kristine Barnett, was letting Jacob be himself — by helping him study the world with wide-eyed wonder instead of focusing on a list of things he couldn’t do.

Diagnosed with moderate to severe autism at the age of 2, Jacob spent years in the clutches of a special education system that didn’t understand what he needed. His teachers at school would try to dissuade Kristine from hoping to teach Jacob any more than the most basic skills.

Jacob was struggling with that sort of instruction — withdrawing deeper into himself and refusing to speak with anyone.

But Kristine noticed that when he was not in therapy, Jacob was doing “spectacular things” on his own.

“He would create maps all over our floor using Q-tips. They would be maps of places we’ve visited and he would memorize every street,” Kristine told the BBC.

One day, his mom took him stargazing. A few months later, they visited a planetarium where a professor was giving a lecture. Whenever the teacher asked questions, Jacob’s little hand shot up and he began to answer questions — easily understanding complicated theories about physics and the movement of planets.

Jacob was just 3-1/2 years old.

His mom realized that Jacob might need something that the standard special education curriculum just wasn’t giving him.

So Kristine decided to take on the job herself.

“For a parent, it’s terrifying to fly against the advice of the professionals,” Kristine writes in her memoir, “The Spark: A Mother’s Story of Nurturing Genius.” “But I knew in my heart that if Jake stayed in special ed, he would slip away.”

The Hamilton County mom, a nursery school teacher, decided to take Jacob out of school and prepare him for mainstream kindergarten herself.

Jacob thrived under his mom’s personal attention. She let him explore the things he wanted to explore. He studied patterns and shadows and stars. At the same time, she made sure that he and enjoy “normal” childhood pleasures — softball, picnics — along with other kids his age.

“I operate under a concept called ‘muchness,’” Kristine said. “Which is surrounding children with the things they love — be it music, or art, whatever they’re drawn to and love.”

By the time he was 11 years old, Jacob was ready for college. He’s now studying condensed matter physics at the Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis.

His IQ rounds out to 170 — higher than that of Albert Einstein. He’s been working on his own theory of relativity. Professors at Princeton’s Institute for Advance Study were impressed.

“The theory that he's working on involves several of the toughest problems in astrophysics and theoretical physics,” astrophysics Professor Scott Tremaine wrote to the family in an email.

"Anyone who solves these will be in line for a Nobel Prize."

Warner Bros. has snatched up movie rights to Jacob’s story. Kristine and her son have embarked on a European book tour, but hope to have some time to rest by July.

“My goal for the summer is just to give him a few weeks off,” Kristine told the Indianapolis Monthly. “The last time he had that was when he came up with the alternative theory to the Big Bang. So who knows what he’ll create?”

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/autistic-boy-genius-iq-higher-einstein-article-1.1340923

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Happy 9th Birthday, Curt. We Hope You Are Always Just You.

01/06/2013

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Always keep your goodness and never lose your love. For then you'll be rewarded with success in ways you never dreamed of.

You don't have to be a giant to be strong, tall, and proud.

All you have to be...is someone people look up to.

You've got a big heart. Keep it filled with happiness.

You've got a fascinating mind.

Keep finding new ways to grow.

Keep yearning.

Keep learning.

Keep trying.

Keep smiling.

And keep remembering that a parent's love goes with you....everywhere you go.

- Douglas Richards
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Autism! A Non-Fiction Work

09/12/2012

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Curtis wrote "a non-fiction book on autism" as a project at the end of his second grade school year. Here's the full text.

pg 1
Hello, my name is Curtis and I know all about art, math, drawing roads, and autism. This non fiction book will be all about autism.

pg.2
I have a special doctor to help with autism. My doctor's name is Dr. Hubbard. Her office is in Portland! It's on the second floor.


pg.3
It's true I have a support team. Every kid with autism needs support. My support team is Jamie, Caron, Mom, and Dad!

pg.4
Most people with autism like to do the same things over and over again. I like to draw roads over and over again.

pg.5
Another fact about autism is that I can remember a lot of information. I remember Ms. Barber's photo copy ID and she doesn't. She says she wants my brain but she is not going to get it.

pg.6
Another fact about autism is I get better and better at things. Today I had a fire drill and I didn't need a head start like i did in kindergarden (sic) and first grade.

pg.7
Sometimes when I'm feeling overwhelmed I use an expression that my brain is fried. That means I need a break. My brain was fried after the NWEA test.

pg.8
The last fact about autism is that it makes me awesome because it makes me smart and unique!!!

Curtis

About the Author

My favorite number is 100. I like to get 500 nick cash and play my favorite game Monkeyquest. My other favorite thing to do is draw roads. My favorite color is red. I like going to the beach with my mom and I hate schoolwork and homework. The end.

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Developmental Milestones Screening, Autism and Other Delays

03/27/2012

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As stated on previous occasions, we love Easter Seals. Much of the success Curtis has had in school stems from strides made during his developing years at Easter Seals. Then Laura began working there and we still value our relationships with Easter Seals staff. As Autism Awareness month approaches, I am re-posting an e-mail I received from Easter Seals today. Pass on the questionnaire to anyone you may know who could use an effective developmental screening tool to assess a child's progress:


Developmental Milestones Screening The first five years are critical in a child's life. And this is the most important time to get your child support for a developmental delay or special need.

Children develop skills, or "milestones," at their own pace. How is your child doing? You only need 10-20 minutes to check with the Ages & Stages Questionnaires®, Third Edition. Your ASQ-3™ results will help you see if your child's developmental progress is on time and alert you to concerns that you can talk over with your health care provider.

Please note: ASQ-3™ is designed for screening, not diagnosis. It is a quick check for children from birth through age five. If your child is age six or older, please discuss his or her development with your child's health care provider, your local school district, or your child's teacher. Results from the questionnaire will be emailed to you within two weeks.

Below in the link to the questionnaire

http://www.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=ntlc10_mffc_homepageasq&autologin=true







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What a Bad Stretch of Time at School Can Look Like

03/12/2012

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This is how Curtis coped with an unexpected schedule interruption last week. By throwing his baggie of pretzels on the ground, "hiding" himself with a turned over table and retreating to the comfort of a multiplication poster he has already memorized. He didn't flip the table in a rage or anything, rather this table closing him in the corner is his way of being alone.  Curtis  tends to take surprises personally, generally feeling betrayed by his caretaker at the time, and it takes some work to get him back on track. But generally he needs some solo processing time first.

In this case, he was surprised one morning to learn he would be doing some testing  with the special ed. director and that his trusted 1:1 would not be accompanying him. Ideally, we would prep him a day in advance with this type of news, letting him ask as many questions as he wanted,  but this time it didn't work out that way. You see how he took the news.

This is also one of those instances where I can see those who don't understand autism rolling their eyes. He's spoiled, coddled, etc. It's easy to say if you don't know or understand him and children like him. But those of us who know him know what's running through his head. What will this be like? What about what I was supposed to be doing at 10am? Is that pushed back or cancelled? When will I be done this exam? How does this effect the rest of my day? He is noticeably overwhelmed by such a situation and no one's judgement of his reaction changes his process one bit. To him, at that moment, the sky is falling.


Before his exam he was clingy, nervous, and angry. Once he got through the testing, Caron walked him around the school to discuss the testing, why it came as a surprise this time, and how the rest of the day would still go as planned. There would be no more surprises though a surprise can still happen at any time. He still had X, Y, and Z to look forward to on the day and everything would be fine. As his parents, we are just thankful he has someone he can trust to get him through these tough times so he can stay in school for the 90% of the time when he is engaged, productive, social, and happy.

Greg, Dad

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Staying Engaged in School Means Keeping Lag Time at a Minimum

02/29/2012

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Curtis often surprises me with his daily, weekly and monthly academic progress - and more often than not, it  takes on a life of its own leaving me in awe. I consider my job to "bite" the moment I notice a new academic skill emerging and then support him through that learning process.

It's important he senses he is in the driver's seat so he can feel the sense of pride that comes when he masters a new skill. So far this year his interest has driven new academic skills including perimeter measuring, area measuring, mapping and grid work, multiplication and division work games, autobiography writing, an independent project of the solar system lay out, weekly spelling tests, and most recently learning the art of cursive transcript.

I have found that cursive writing practice has also acted as a tool for calming his engine during the day. The motion of writing in cursive is therapeutic because of the focus it takes and the smooth motion of the arm and hand extension.

All of these skills are separate from what his class is doing - mostly because they are a good year or two ahead of his second grade classroom. He does these independent projects in addition to his actual 2nd grade classwork. I have to keep his day rather full and his brain engaged or things tend to fall apart during lag time or longer than needed transitional moments. Because of this, I have a stack each week of "Curtis' work" that we tap into as the week goes on. As I have mentioned in a prior post - Curtis has been noticed in this school by a few teachers as the "most hard working student" in the school. He may not be excited about that title or understand why he has been coined with it - but his support team understands:)

Caron, 1:1 School Support
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Ahead of the Curve: Cursive, Multiplication, Swimming

02/28/2012

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Curtis turned eight just last month but you wouldn't know it by some of his recent accomplishments. He has started writing in cursive and works at it on a daily basis, mastering the tricky r's and z's and writing full sentences in cursive. He took an interest in multiplication recently and has since memorized his multiplication tables through the number 12. The swimming lessons he has reluctantly taken on Monday evenings for the past few years have paid off. This week he started swimming from one end of the pool to the other with more confidence and determination than ever . He didn't do it once or twice, but 14 times. Not saying all this to brag, well maybe a little, but more out of pride with what the little guy is able to accomplish. He is starting to understand that many of his limitations aren't so limiting after all. With a little help from his friends and his own increasing desire to succeed, learn, and challenge himself, his confidence in his own ability is rising every day.


Greg, Dad
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Expanding the Palate; Moving Beyond Chicken Nuggets, Cheez-Its, and the Handful of Foods That Have Gotten Curt This Far

02/09/2012

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Children on the autism spectrum are not known for having the most diverse palate. Generally speaking, they will find a few foods they are comfortable with, such as chicken nuggets, and show little to no interest in most other foods. There have been plenty of meals where we've put pasta, meat, or vegetables in front of Curtis that have been rejected out of hand because of texture, appearance, or any number of other reasons. We rarely won the "eat it or go hungry" stand-off. He was willing to go hungry without thinking twice. But times they are a changing and tonight Curtis was willing to give Mexican food a shot. Specifically, he wanted to try a quesadilla, or as he knows it from Napoleon Dynamite, a "dang quesadilla". Hopefully this is just the start of a willingness to keep trying something new. Even if he did just more or less nibble the edges.

Greg, Dad
Jamie, 1:1 Home Support
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Advice to Parents Coming to Terms With Having a Child on the Autism Spectrum, Information Thread Part 2

01/10/2012

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In September, I posted some comments from an Autism Awareness thread on Linkedin. Parents of children on the spectrum share a piece of advice they would give to parents of newly diagnosed children. The thread is still popping up so I thought I would check back in with it and transfer a few more posts that caught my attention, beginning with:

"Brenda Considine • I was given the best advice EVER by my son's pediatrician: "Keep your child's self-esteem in tact, and he will be fine." It has guided nearly every decision we have made for him."

This advice reminded me of the shirt and hat we encouraged Curtis to get at the Boston Museum of Science this past weekend (pictured). Keeping Curt's self-esteem in tact is always a top priority for his caregivers and is vital to his success so far. We believe he can do anything and it gets him believing it too, even when he doubts it. Curtis went from being intimidated by his Razr Scooter on Christmas to taking on large hills over a two week period because we left no doubt in his mind that he could do it if he was willing to try. Now he's got a good riding foundation for when we pick bike riding lessons up again next spring.
More posts that caught my eye

Alan Fox You have to do as much as you can for your child as soon as you can. Waiting and hoping will not help. All the research says do not wait, intervene early, even without a diagnosis. Your child is unique and so is his or her autism. Anyone (author, doctor, guru, self-advocate, or me) who tells you he or she can help your child without knowing your child first cannot help your child. What works well for one will not necessarily work well for another.

Meredith Zolty Keep a notebook with all your meeting notes, doctor/therapist contact info, school details etc. Bring it with you to meetings and appointments to help coordinate your child's IEP.

Debra Severson Forgive those in the schools. They don't know that they dont know- but be patient and offer them resources to learn and ask (insist, really) districts to provide staff the training they need. Don't be afraid to disagree. Just have sound reasons and look for an alternative intervention that makes sense to you and takes in account your child's motivations. Push when you have to push.

Mary Kay Forster • Knowledge is power. You MUST be your child's advocate. Learn all you can about all kinds of therapies, help groups, treatments, etc. You have to determine what to discard as not appropriate and go forward and fight if necessary for the things your child needs. Grow a group of like-minded teachers, administrators, doctors, friends and family to help you on your way.

Brenda Difonzo The road ahead will be a long and challenging one. I would advise you not to compare your child to other "normal" children his/her age - they will achieve what they can when they're ready. Also remember to take care of yourself, your spouse and any other children you may have.


Greg, Dad


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Another Great Article on the Hidden Potential of Autistic Children

12/01/2011

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Standardized testing for children with autism has typically been difficult. The structure of the tests often does more to emphasize the limitations of those with autism rather than display their strengths. This article from Live Science shows how typical intelligence tests, specifically the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), are a poor fit for autistic people and give them little chance to successfully pass the test. It's a timed test that relies on a lot of cultural and social knowledge. Not exactly the forte of the autistic mind.

Instead, tests like the Raven's Progressive Matrices or the Test of Nonverbal Intelligence (TONI), avoid obstacles brought about by behavior and language difficulties. Children are asked to solve problems by designs and patterns which are often strengths of children with autism. According to the study, autistic kids score about 30% better on these tests than on the more commonly used "WISC".

"Many of those who are considered low-functioning—if you give them other intelligence tests, you will find hidden potential," she says. "They can solve really complex problems if you give them material that they can optimally process."

"The hidden potential of autistic people seems to fall in common areas—tasks that involve pattern recognition, logical reasoning and picking out irregularities in data or arguments...Recognizing these talents, rather than pushing them aside to focus on the drawbacks of autism, could benefit not just autistic people, but everyone else as well.'

The article also offers up a couple of great conclusions

1.) "It doesn't mean that it's easy for them in everyday life, or that it's easy for their parents or teachers," Soulieres says. "But it shows that they have this reasoning potential, and maybe we have to start teaching them differently and stop making the assumption that they won't learn."

2.) Mottron concludes that perhaps autism is not really a disease at all—that it is perhaps just a different way of looking at the world that should be celebrated rather than viewed as pathology.

Studies such as this sure seem to be on the right track. There are obvious advantages to the autistic mind that don't fit in our conventional ways of evaluating intelligence. These kids don't learn the same way, they don't tests the same way, but there is a whole lot more to their minds than conventional test scores or school evaluations would indicate it. Personally, I like this post in the comments

"Has anyone stopped to think that maybe autism is a form evolution? Perhaps a more reasonable logical human species? Think about it. No war. No race pre-occupation. No religion. They could be just what our race needs......."

Greg, Dad


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