The Prodigy’s Cousin: The family link between Autism and extraordinary talent

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‘[AN] IMPORTANT BOOK’ TEMPLE GRANDINOver the course of her career, psychologist Joanne Ruthsatz has assembled the largest-ever research sample of child prodigies. Their accomplishments are epic. One could reproduce radio tunes by ear on a toy guitar at two years old. Another was a thirteen-year-old cooking sensation. And what Ruthsatz’s investigation revealed is noth­ing short of astonishing. Though the prodigies aren’t autistic, many have autistic family members. Each prodigy has an extraordinary memory and a keen eye for detail—well-known but often-overlooked strengths associated with autism. Ruthsatz proposes a startling possibility: might the abilities of child prodigies stem from a genetic link with autism? And could prodigies – children who have many of the strengths of autism but few of the challenges – be the key to a long-awaited autism breakthrough?This inspiring book about extraordinary children, indomitable parents and a researcher’s unorthodox hunch is essential reading for anyone interested in the brain and human potential.

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