the magazine also recently spotlighted: Jackson Maxwell, “Eight-String Guitarist Zac Tiessen Premieres ‘Infinity’ Playthrough Video,” Guitar World, July 23, 2015.
Autumn de Forest: Doug de Forest, telephone interview, Sept. 7, 2015.
“I’ve never taken lessons”: “Autumn, a Young Artist, Prodigy, and Philanthropist, Citizen Kid by Disney,” YouTube video, 2:51, posted by “Babble,” July 16, 2014.
Alex and William: Lucie, e-mail; Josh (William’s math teacher), telephone interview, Oct. 14, 2014; William, report card, June 19, 2015.
Index
Note: The page numbers in this index refer to the printed version of this book. The link provided will take you to the beginning of that print page. You may need to scroll forward from that location to find the corresponding reference on your e-reader. Additionally, some names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals described.
Abasi, Tosin, 149
Achatz, Grant, 53
adaptive functioning, 13–14
Adrià, Ferran, 48, 53
affective or emotional empathy, 134
AIDS, 195
Alex (Lucie and Mike’s son), 9, 10–20
autism of, 11–16, 18
behavior of, 10–15
breakthrough of, 16–18
improvement of, 18–19
and media, 80
recovery of, 19, 29, 176–77, 216–17, 218
therapy for, 12–16, 29, 178, 182, 192
Alfred L. (obsessions), 94
amygdala, 129
Asperger, Hans, 40, 41, 59, 94, 131–33, 190
Asperger’s disorder, 42, 102, 112, 133
autism:
Asperger’s description of, 132–33
behavioral abnormalities at core of, 41, 119, 172–73, 189, 191
changing perceptions of, 6–7, 42, 119, 130, 131, 133–34, 173–74, 191–92, 228n, 229n
cognitive basis sought for, 119, 131, 133, 173
diagnosis of, 40, 41, 42, 189, 227n
DNA analysis of, 114–17
early infantile autism, 41
emergence from, 256n
empathizing-systemizing theory of, 134
environmental risk factors for, 136
executive function theory of, 119, 133, 173
gender skew in population of, 96–97, 157, 239n
genetic basis for, 76, 77, 173, 193–94, 204
intense world theory of, 128, 130–31, 134
isolating autism-specific symptoms, 172–74
and mental retardation, 118–19
mind blindness theory of, 119, 120–21, 134
parents blamed for, 76–77
and prodigies, 5–6, 30, 39, 43–44, 63, 96, 116–17, 128, 133, 134, 135, 175; see also child prodigies
recovery from, 9, 19, 176–77, 190, 256n
and synesthesia, 111–12
training the talent, 181, 185, 186, 188–92, 259n
treatments for, 191–92, 204, 207
unique challenges of studying, 202–5, 208
and viral infections, 90, 238n
weak central coherence theory of, 119, 134, 173
Autism Network International, 203
Autism Speaks, 180
Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), 43, 44
autists:
differences among, 173–74, 175
extraordinary memories of, 60
family members of, 43–45, 95, 96, 135, 173, 193
hyperactive brains of, 130
obsessions of, 81, 94–95, 189
optimal outcome cases, 177–78, 180–81
qualities of, 41, 63, 95, 130
and savants, 62–63
use of term, 7
Barkat, Tania, 128–29, 130
Barnett, Jacob, 99–111, 169, 171, 203
Asperger’s disorder diagnosis of, 102
autism of, 30, 102, 110–11
birth of, 99
in college, 212–13
media attention to, 113–14
synesthesia of, 111, 112
TEDxTeen talk of, 213
training the talent, 181, 192
turnaround of, 30
Barnett, Kristine, 99–109, 213
Barnett, Michael, 99–103
Barnett, Wes, 102–3
Baron-Cohen, Simon, 43, 96, 120–21, 134
Bartlett, Chris, 114–16
Bascom, Julia, 203
Bateman, Robert, 141
Baumgarten, Franziska, 34
Beck, Glenn, 113
Becker, Laurence A., 89, 90, 93, 186
behavioral therapy, 178–81, 191
aversive stimulations in, 179
child-driven approaches, 259n
controversy about, 180
positive reinforcements in, 179, 181
research on, 172–73, 189
shock treatments in, 179
Bettelheim, Bruno, 76–77
Bieber, Justin, 213
Blumenthal, Heston, 53
Bohusz-Szyszko, Marian, 85
brain disorders:
left-brain injury, right-brain compensation, 154–55, 157
use of term, 7
brain research:
on amygdala, 129
with “creativity cap,” 155–56
need for, 151–52
on rat brains, 128–29
on ventral pathway vs. dorsal pathway, 171–72
Brott, Boris, 142
Brown, Timothy Ray (HIV), 196–201
Cattell-Horn-Carroll (C-H-C) theory of cognitive abilities, 169, 171
CCR5-Delta32 gene, 196, 197–99, 201–2
CDC (Centers for Disease Control), autism overview, 227n
child prodigies, 32–45
in adulthood, 209–10
and autism, 5–6, 30, 39, 43–44, 63, 96, 128, 133, 134, 135, 175
callings of, 171
common attributes of, 5–6, 63, 80–81, 95, 96, 135, 167, 170
definitions of, 32, 36–37, 39, 40, 52
differences among, 167–68, 172, 174, 175
DNA analysis of, 114–17
“early ripe, early rot” perspective, 209
education of, 79
and environment, 135–36
families of, 95, 96, 135, 193
gender skew in population of, 97, 157
genetic link to autism, 116–17, 174, 193–94
inner workings of the mind, 170
and IQ tests, 80, 167–70
media attention to, 79–80, 209, 210
opportunity to develop talents of, 78
parents of, 75–81, 209
and “precocious children,” 226n
research on, 5–6, 37, 204
scientific theories about, 3, 193, 232n
variations in upbringing of, 80
cholesterol, 202
chromosome 1, 1p31-q21 location, 116–17, 194, 208
Clark, Trevor, 259n
Clemons, Alonzo, 152–53
cognitive empathy, 134
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 124
Crohn, Stephen, 195–96, 205
Cuban, Mark, 214
Currie, Jean, 83
Cuthbert, Bruce, 204, 205–7
Dawson, Geraldine, 205
de Forest, Autumn, 158, 159–66, 175
and art, 160–66, 170–71, 172, 216
IQ test administered to, 166–67
media attention to, 165–66
and music, 159–60
talking about her work, 163–64, 165–66
“white room” of, 161–62
de Forest, Doug, 159–66
de Forest, Katherin
e, 159–64
de Groot, Adriaan D., 57
Demarco, Richard, 86
dementia, frontotemporal, 154, 156, 157
de novo mutations, 174–75, 208
detail, attention to, 97–98, 110, 134, 135, 170, 194
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders:
(DSM-5), 7, 42, 133, 206–7
(DSM-III), 133
(DSM-IV), 59, 118, 133, 229n
disease:
curing, 203
high-risk individuals protected from, 194
and Resilience Project, 202
and stem cell research, 198–99, 200–201
studying those without, 202
DNA analysis, 114–17
Doe, Kelvin, 77–78
Donald T. (autist), 40, 190
Dorsey, Jack, 213
Drier, Eric, 124, 125
dyslexia, 203
early infantile autism, 41
echolalia, 22
emotional or affective empathy, 134
empathizing-systemizing theory, 134
empathy, 121–28, 130
cognitive empathy, 134
emotional or affective empathy, 134
Empathy Quotient, 121
Epstein, Fred, 123
excitatory cell networks, 129
executive function theory, 119, 133, 173
experts:
memory of, 57–58
ten thousand hours to mastery, 81
three factors in success, 2–3
Facebook, 79
Fein, Deborah, 177–78, 180
Feldman, David Henry, 32–33, 151–52, 193
and brain imaging research, 152
child prodigy defined by, 32, 36–37, 39, 41, 52
and core skills, 77, 80, 168
Flannick, Jason, 204
Floortime, 189
Folstein, Susan, 77
Frederick (autist), 190
Frith, Uta, 42, 118, 120, 131–32
frontotemporal dementia, 154, 156, 157
Fuchs, Erich, 195–96, 205
Gagnaire, Pierre, 53
Galileo Galilei, 169
genetic link between child prodigies and autism, 116–17, 174, 193–94
genetic mutations, 115, 174–75, 196, 242n
Gerard, Monica, 67–68
Goldsmith, Lynn T., 37, 77, 80
Gould, Judith, 173
Grandin, Temple, 190–91
Green, Jerry, 195
Greenberg, Jay, 78, 171
Grossman, Greg, 46–58, 81
birth of, 54–55
culinary talents of, 55–56, 57, 95, 211
empathy of, 127
IQ test of, 56–58
and molecular gastronomy, 52–53
Grossman, Terre, 46–48, 54, 81
Hardy, Edward Rochie Jr., 34–36
HIV research, 194–202
CCR5-Delta32 gene, 196, 197–99, 201–2
Patient 205, 201–2
stem cell transplants, 198–99, 200
Timothy Ray Brown cure, 196–201
zinc-finger nucleases, 201
Hoffman, Dustin, 102
Hollingworth, Leta, 34–36
homozygosity, 196
Human Brain Project, 128
Hütter, Gero, 197–200
infant prodigies, see child prodigies
Insel, Thomas, 178, 192, 206
intense world theory, 128, 130–31, 134
Jackson, Peter, 70
James, Garrett (pseud.), 1–4, 39, 44, 57, 95, 98, 193, 211
Jason (pseud.), 123
John Paul II, Pope, 94
Jones, Valerie, 139–40, 146, 149
Kanner, Leo, 40–41, 42, 59, 76, 94, 131, 172, 189, 190
Kearney, Michael, 38
Keller, Thomas, 53
Komar, Jacob, 126–27
Konantovich, Adam (pseud.), 37
Kozhevnikov, Maria, 170
Lauer, Matt, 165
Lee, Sarah 181–88, 189
left-brain injury, right-brain compensation, 154–55, 157
Leishman, Molly, 83–84
Lemke, Leslie, 62
Lennon, John, 212
Leslie, Alan, 120
Lovaas, O. Ivar, 179
Lucie (Alex and William’s mother), 9–31, 79–80, 81, 127, 176, 178, 181, 216–18
McHugh, Tommy, 153
Markram, Henry, 128, 130
Markram, Kamila, 130
Marshall, Bethany (pseud.), 37–38
Martinez, Rosa C., 186, 216
mastery, ten thousand hours to, 81
memory:
of autists, 26–29, 60, 63, 217
expert, 57–58
and genetic link, 194
and IQ tests, 58–59, 80, 167, 168, 231n
of prodigies, 63, 96, 170
of savants, 60, 62–63, 96
Meyer, Danny, 51
Mike (Alex and William’s father):
and Alex, 10, 13, 17–18, 19
and autism, 15, 176
and William, 27
Miller, Bruce, 154, 157
mind blindness theory, 119, 120–21, 134
Morelock, Martha, 37, 168, 193
Mottron, Laurent, 180
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, 34
Mr. Z. (savant), 153–54
mutation, use of term, 242n
Nadia (savant), 60–61, 62
neurodiversity, 203, 263n
Nyiregyházi, Erwin, 33–34
object visualization vs. spatial visualization, 168–70, 171
Ocho (social video app), 121
Olmstead, Marla, 72
operational thought, 36
Ozonoff, Sally, 178
Padgett, Jason, 152, 157
Patient 205 (HIV), 201–2
Patrick (autist), 4, 39, 44, 193
Paul, Les, 69
Paxton, Bill, 195–96
PCSK9 gene, 202
Pearson, Becky, 101
PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System), 14, 103
Pépin, Jacques, 47
Petrill, Stephen, 114
Piaget, Jean, 32–33, 36
Pizzarelli, Bucky, 69
Portia Learning Centre, 15–16, 18–19, 22, 29, 178
precocious children, 226n
prodigies, see child prodigies
Rain Man (film), 102
Raven’s Progressive Matrices, 133
Ray, Rachael, 47
recovery:
and behavioral therapy, 178–81
“emergence” vs., 256n
search for causes of, 178
and stem cells, 198–99, 200–201
and training the talent, 181, 185, 186, 188–92, 259n
Research Domain Criteria project (RDoC), 206–8
Resilience Project, 202
Révész, Géza, 33–34
Reyes, Javier, 149
Robert F. (autist), 256n
Rouleau, Guy, 174–75, 208
Russell, Jim, 65–67
Russell, Jonathan, 64, 65–71, 75, 79, 80, 81, 98, 171, 211–12
Rutter, Michael, 77
Sacks, Oliver, 155
Safer, Morley, 114
Sally-Anne test, 120
Sarah (chimpanzee), 119–20
savants:
acquired, 153
and autists, 62–63
environmental triggers of, 152
gender skew in population of, 157
genetic studies of, 174–75
induced skills of, 156
as “islands of genius
,” 61–63
and left-brain injury, right-brain compensation, 154–55, 157
memory of, 60, 62–63, 96
obsessions of, 81, 94–95, 189
research with, 153–57
talents of, 61–62
schizophrenia, 174, 208
sensory processing disorder, 67
Shore, Howard, 70
Sinclair, Jim, 203
60 Minutes, 113–14, 171
SLC30A8 gene, 202, 204
Snyder, Allan W., 155
spatial imagery, 171–72, 253n
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, 56–58, 80, 166–70, 171, 231n
stem cell transplants, 198–99, 200–201
Strokes of Genius, 186, 216
Suzuki music instruction, 66–67, 122
synesthesia, 111–12
Tammet, Daniel, 62, 112
testosterone, 96, 157
Thatcher, Margaret, 88, 94
theory of mind, 119–21, 173
This, Hervé, 52–53
Tiessen, Doug, 137, 138–39, 143–51
Lyme disease of, 141, 215
Tiessen, Josh, 136–45, 146
and art, 138–43, 214, 215
Arts for a Change, 143
birth of, 137–38, 150, 151
family of, 137
philanthropy of, 142–43
Tiessen, Julie, 137–39, 141, 143–44, 146–51
Lyme disease of, 141, 215
pregnancies of, 137–38, 150–51
Tiessen, Zac, 139–51
birth of, 138
childhood of, 138, 139, 143–45
head injuries of, 137, 145–46, 149–50, 215
and Josh’s art, 140–41, 146
and music, 144, 146–49, 150, 214–15
Tiessen family, Lyme disease in, 141, 149, 215
Touchstone, Taylor, 97
training the talent, 181, 185, 186, 188–92, 259n
Treffert, Darold, 61–63, 152, 190
twin studies:
of nature-nurture influence, 77
Twitter, 79
type 2 diabetes, 202, 204
Urbach, Deborah, 122
Urbach, Jourdan, 121–26
and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 124
fund-raising by, 123–24, 125–26, 213–14
and Ocho, 121
positive impact as quest of, 124–26
valproic acid (VPA), 128, 129
Veggie U, 51, 53–54, 56, 127
verbalizers vs. visualizers, 170
visual-spatial skills, 166–67, 168–70, 171, 253n
Voiers, Doug and Nancy, 71–75
Voiers, Lauren, 64, 71–75, 79, 80, 81, 95, 166, 212
Wawro, Mike, 82, 84–93
Wawro, Olive, 82–83, 85, 86, 90
Wawro, Richard, 82–94
artwork of, 85–90, 93–94
autism of, 89–90, 91
death of, 92
legacy of, 212
The Prodigy's Cousin Page 30
