In his book ‘late talking children’, Thomas Sowell has described a term Einstein syndrome for a group of symptoms. The book was published in 1997 and this terminology has been in existence since then. Thomas Sowell is not a medical practitioner but he is an economist. Children with Einstein syndrome are late talkers but they are extremely intelligent for their age, they also posses exceptional analytical skill and strong memory.
In his book the author describes his own son having the same problem and was diagnosed as mentally retarded child. But after a period of time his son had outgrown his speech problem. Children who suffer from Einstein syndrome are not linguistically challenged or deaf but they have delayed speech as compared to their peers.
It is believed that in such children the area that control memory and intelligence develops at rapid pace and in this process the area in brain that controls speech and linguistic ability suffers. Often the syndrome is confused with autism. But the only difference between both is that the child in Einstein syndrome does not need special treatment as he attains his communications skill to normal level within few years.
Signs And Symptoms Of Einstein Syndrome
Children who suffer from Einstein syndrome have some peculiar symptoms. They are as follows:
- Late talkers: Children suffering from Einstein syndrome have delayed onset of speech. Majority of these children start speaking at the age of 5 or more. After 5 years of age they start to make sentences while speaking. At the age of 3 these children hardly speak one or two words.
- Good analytical skill: These kids posses exceptional analytical skill. At the age of 2 to 3 years these children can quickly sole a puzzle that even an adult takes time to solve. They have high mechanical precision. Such children are gifted with high IQ level.
- Sharp memory: At the age of 2 or 3 year a child suffering from Einstein syndrome has sharp memory than his peer and even an adult. At such a tender age such children are able to operate complex mathematical problems and they can easily operate computer and various instruments which their peers of same age cannot handle.
- Stubborn: Kids having Einstein syndrome are very stubborn. Once they are determined to do a thing they will do it with all their conviction no matter how difficult it is. However, if they do not like something, they cannot be fooled or persuaded. In short they will do what they want.
- Social aloofness: Such children do not like to mix socially with their peers although they are highly intelligent and efficient. They like to stay alone.
- Delayed toilet training: As compared to the peers of his age, a child suffering from Einstein syndrome takes more time and years for toilet training.
- Parents with high IQ level: It has been seen that parents of these children are highly educated and have high intelligence level. They are often mathematicians, engineers and scientists or musicians.
- Very attentive: They completely concentrate once they take up a task. They always work or take some assignment which they like.
How To Deal With Einstein Syndrome?
Einstein syndrome is just a description of an observation made by Sowell in his book. It does not have any supportive clinical trial or data that is usually needed for detailed description of a disease scientifically. Hence parents of children who have speech and language problem during their growing age must first consider consulting a pediatrician to rule out speech related medical disorders.
The author has described two main features in Einstein syndrome and they are super intelligent child with delay in onset of speech. However, realistically possibilities such as tongue tie, deafness, autism, Down’s syndrome must be ruled out before the child is labeled as having Einstein syndrome. Although there is delay in speaking, after 5 or 6 years the child speaks fluently and does not require speech therapy.