Einstein - High functioning Autism

[GOD]

I'd had quite a sneaking suspicion that he was, this video adds more weight to that observation.

[GOD]

Here's my views:

Very introverted - introversion that means he says inside his own mind rather than communicate with others. (While a child might not be able to physically have the introversion they require, they can always not speak, which creates a confine within their mind - a removal from the situation).

The communication issues may be almost like stuttering, where there is an internal loop which doesn't allow the delivery into vocalisation. Wouldn't be surprised if stuttering has a close connection (a reasonable correlation) with Autism. (What if stuttering is so bad you simply cannot speak?).

Slow learner, trying to understand and relate to the method of learning that schools teach. Quite possibly has a major problem with discrete information recollection (such as spelling which has little connectivity) and with schooling having little pattern thought he did not excel. (Just like why so many top scientists (inventive) are b/c grade scholars)

Did he suffer Autism? I'm sort of out on Autism, he might have simply been very deductive, very good at pattern recognition and suffered from the ability to vocalise his speech. Introversion might be a function of depression as so many brilliant people I believe suffer in this context, they excel (high functioning) because they have the will to succeed rather than be a victim and quit. The pathways required to circumvent their impeding parts (of their minds) give rise to complete different observations which would not have occurred if they could have had it easy with being the same brain type as required to excel in classic schooling methods.

[GOD]

Here are some research findings from the MIND institute; I think it’s a spin off from UCLA.

Anyway, I sort of disagree with it, but not in a heresy sort of way. I think that some of the research is a bit presumptive. I agree that Autism children with enlarged Amygdala have different perceptions of facial recognition, but I actually believe that is because generally they have reprioritised thoughts, and at a young age this is not directed at social interaction. With an enlarged Amgdala I would tend to believe that they should be more fearful than the control group and this from what I saw tends to be borne out in unstructured / uncontrollable situations. The deactivation of their Amygdala in fearful faces to me appears to be an acknowledgement of reduced personal threat with the increased activation in normal faces due to indeterminable status of that person (i.e. risk), (not all thoughts are portrayed on a face).

I think research experiments focusing more closely on trust of unknown people and situations will show that Autistic children are more wary of personal harm as they are more "individual" as an entity (separate). I think also their lower understanding of social protocols might also be a factor of simply less interest/desire to become skilled in those attributes, if people are superfluous to their thoughts then they have no usefulness and therefore no need (probably more attached to high functioning autism). However, on the low autism side I do subscribe to the loop described as that fits with my stuttering and repetitive loop theory (vocalisation).

[GOD]

Definition - Echolalia is the repetition of vocalizations made by another person. Echolalia can be present in autism, Tourette syndrome, aphasia, Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, developmental disability, schizophrenia, Asperger syndrome and, occasionally, other forms of psychopathology.

With regards to Einstein, its interesting to note that the observation of repeating a phrase might simply have been due to focus, as this may have been his attempt to gain interaction on the topic or through his thoughts continually thinking down the same path (Just as you can mull over ideas and problems in your mind). I guess you'd need to know exactly the phrases he repeated.

Anyway, in conclusion, his difference was his strength, just as some people are along the spectrum in looks or other abilities (genetic or otherwise) I don't think for a moment there is anything wrong with this. The only real problem is the academic systems inability to cater for exceptionally talented individuals; they don't even know how to spot them. Simple IQ tests are not the absolute indicator to long run ability.