Did Albert Einstein Have Autism?
According to Michael Fitzgerald, professor of psychiatry at Trinity Collegei n Dublin, many geniuses, including Albert Einstein, Beethoven, Mozart, and more, all had Asperger syndrome.
Asperger syndrome is a high-functioning disorder on the autism spectrum. Fitzgerald's proof of his claim is the fact that these geniuses can be described as loners who were highly focused for decades on a single problem without paying attention to others' views.
Einstein was renowned for his intelligence (his IQ was believed to be 160-190, far above the average of 100). His unusually high IQ was another factor that makes many believe he had autism.
So although we don't know for sure if Albert Einstein had autism or asperger syndrome, his behaviors, character traits, and vision to solve so many problems over several decades were strong indictors that he was on the autism spectrum.
Traits He Had Which Might Be Signs Of Autism/Asperger's
1. He did not speak until he was 3 years old
Surprisingly, not much information is known about Einstein's childhood. However, it is well-known that Einstein's speech development was slower than the average child, and he actually didn't start speaking until he was three or four years old. Up until the age of seven, he'd whisper words to himself before saying them out loud, and he'd also repeat sentences frequently.
If you've ever heard the term 'Einstein Syndrome', then you might know that it was coined to refer to children who begin talking at a later age than most children.
2. He was fixated on his interests
Einstein wasn't really interested in what most children his age did, he instead liked to read books, solve puzzles, figure out complex math problems, play the violin, and build houses out of cards.
Many people believe that Albert failed at school. The truth is, he was an average student, but always excelled in science and math. He was once showed an article with the headline "Greatest living mathematician failed in mathematics," and responded with a laugh saying "Before I was 15 years old, I had mastered differential and integral calculus."
As you can see, Einstein grew up not like his peers, did different things, and was very bright from a young age.
3. He found it hard to make friends and preferred to be alone
Young Einstein found that making friends was difficult. Even later in life, he spent most of his time by himself, either on a boat, or studying. Despite being introverted, he did have romnatic interests, close friends, and a great sensor of humor.
He once said a well-known and hilarious quote, "When you are spending time with a nice girl, an hour seems like a second. But when you sit on a red-hot cinder, a second seems like an hour. That's relativity."
4. He found communication and language difficult to master
Einstein became notorious for giving confusing lectures, and he never felt comfortable giving speeches, making small talk, or chatting with people. He would often forget his daily items such as keys, and was described as an "absent-minded professor".
5. He was consumed by complex topics
Many people with autism have a talent for understanding complex systems and topics, ranging from computers, to science, to music. While Einstein was working on solving a physics problem, he'd become so fixated on solving it that he'd completely block out whatever was going on around him. His thoughts would consume his life for long periods of time, and he would be so focused that nothing around him was a distraction. We can learn a thing or two about his intense level of concentration!
6. He was seen as a bit eccentric
Einstein had a reputation for being a free spirit with sloppy clothes and wild unruly hair. He was so busy that he didn't have time to worry about his appearance
