The Prodigy's Cousin (37 page)

In a 2011 paper
:
Kristina Allers et al., “Evidence for the Cure of HIV Infection by CCR5∆32/∆32 Stem Cell Transplantation,”
Blood
117, no. 10 (2011): 2791–99.

Two months later
:
“Is ‘Cure' Still a Four-Letter Word? Executive Summary,” San Francisco AIDS Foundation, http://www.sfaf.org.

At a conference in Spain
:
Richard Knox, “Traces of Virus in Man Cured of HIV Trigger Scientific Debate,” NPR, June 13, 2012; Jon Cohen, “Evidence That Man Cured of HIV Harbors Viral Remnants Triggers Confusion,”
Science,
June 11, 2012.

So far, no second cure
:
Lambros Kordelas et al., “Shift of HIV Tropism in Stem-Cell Transplantation with CCR5 Delta32 Mutation,”
New England Journal of Medicine
371, no. 9 (2014): 880–82; Gero Hütter, “More on Shift of HIV Tropism in Stem-Cell Transplantation with CCR5 Delta32/Delta32 Mutation,”
New England Journal of Medicine
371, no. 25 (2014): 2437–38.

In 2014, a group
:
Pablo Tebas et al., “Gene Editing of CCR5 in Autologous CD4 T Cells of Persons Infected with HIV,”
New England Journal of Medicine
370, no. 10 (2014): 901–10. Additional information on this study comes from a telephone interview with Pablo Tebas conducted on March 6, 2015.

In one recent study
:
Jason Flannick et al., “Loss-of-Function Mutations in SLC30A8 Protect Against Type 2 Diabetes,”
Nature Genetics
46, no. 4 (2014): 357–63. Additional information on this study comes from a telephone interview with Jason Flannick conducted on March 11, 2015.

Scientists studying heart disease
:
Jonathan Cohen et al., “Low LDL Cholesterol in Individuals of African Descent Resulting from Frequent Nonsense Mutations in PCSK9,”
Nature Genetics
37, no. 2 (2005): 161–65; Jonathan C. Cohen et al., “Sequence Variations in PCSK9, Low LDL, and Protection Against Coronary Heart Disease,”
New England Journal of Medicine
354, no. 12 (2006): 1264–72.

The identification of beneficial
:
Gina Kolata, “Rare Mutation Ignites Race for Cholesterol Drug,”
New York Times,
July 9, 2013.

Some advocates argue
:
For an excellent history of this idea, which is often referred to as neurodiversity, see Silberman,
Neurotribes
. See also “Position Statements,” Autistic Self Advocacy Network; Amy Harmon, “How About Not ‘Curing' Us, Some Autistics Are Pleading,”
New York Times,
Dec. 20, 2004; Amy Harmon, “Nominee to Disability Council Is Lightning Rod for Dispute on Views of Autism,”
New York Times,
March 27, 2010; and Michelle Dawson, “The Misbehaviour of Behaviourists: Ethical Challenges to the Autism-ABA Industry,” Jan. 18, 2004.

“Autism isn't something a person
has
”
:
Jim Sinclair, “Don't Mourn for Us,”
Our Voice
1, no. 3 (1993).

“The biggest barrier”
:
Julia Bascom, e-mail.

It's a disorder
:
Kit Weintraub, “A Mother's Perspective,” Association for Science in Autism Treatment; Harmon, “How About Not ‘Curing' Us.”

certain SLC30A8 mutations
:
Flannick et al., “Loss-of-Function Mutations in SLC30A8 Protect Against Type 2 Diabetes.” See also Gina Kolata, “Rare Mutation Kills Off Gene Responsible for Diabetes,”
New York Times,
March 2, 2014.

“It was so at odds”
:
Jason Flannick, telephone interview, March 11, 2015.

“We're not really trying to cure”
:
Geraldine Dawson, telephone interview, Oct. 14, 2015.

It described groups of symptoms
:
Insel, “Director's Blog: Transforming Diagnosis.”

“As long as the research community”
:
Pam Belluck and Benedict Carey, “Psychiatry's Guide Is out of Touch with Science, Experts Say,”
New York Times,
May 6, 2013.

“It was all like a magical mystery tour”
:
Bruce Cuthbert, interview, March 9, 2015.

It was even more problematic
:
Linda S. Brady and Thomas R. Insel, “Translating Discoveries into Medicine: Psychiatric Drug Development in 2011,”
Neuropsychopharmacology
37, no. 1 (2012): 281–83; Bruce N. Cuthbert
and Thomas R. Insel, “Toward the Future of Psychiatric Diagnosis: The Seven Pillars of RDoC,”
BMC Medicine
11 (2013); Sten Stovall, “R&D Cuts Curb Brain-Drug Pipeline,”
Wall Street Journal,
March 27, 2011.

NIMH scientists eventually set out
:
Cuthbert and Insel, “Toward the Future of Psychiatric Diagnosis.”

RDoC casts aside
:
“Development and Definitions of the RDoC Domains and Constructs,” National Institute of Mental Health, http://www.nimh.nih.gov/.

The idea is that by untangling
:
Insel, “Director's Blog: Transforming Diagnosis.”

But they are attempting
:
Cuthbert and Insel, “Toward the Future of Psychiatric Diagnosis.”

After all, scientists have already
:
Iva Dincheva et al., “FAAH Genetic Variation Enhances Fronto-amygdala Function in Mouse and Human,”
Nature Communications
6, no. 6395 (2015). See also Richard A. Friedman, “The Feel-Good Gene,”
New York Times,
March 6, 2015.

Epilogue: A Wide-Open Future

There are plenty of popular reports
:
See, for example, Ellen Winner, “Often, Child Prodigies Do Not Grow into Adult Geniuses,”
New York Times,
May 20, 2015; “Harvard's Quartet of Mental Prodigies,”
New York Times,
Jan. 16, 1910; Kathleen Montour, “William James Sidis, the Broken Twig,”
American Psychologist
32, no. 4 (1977): 265–79; “Illustrating a System of Education,”
New York Times,
Jan. 7, 1910.

Just as autism in adulthood
:
Siri Carpenter, “Adults with Autism Are Left to Navigate a Jarring World,”
ScienceNews,
Feb. 10, 2015.

wide range of outcomes
:
For a thoughtful discussion on the transition from child prodigy to adult creator, see Ellen Winner,
Gifted Children: Myths and Realities
(New York: Basic Books, 1996). See also Michael J. A. Howe,
The Psychology of High Abilities
(New York: New York University Press, 1999).

A small study of eight
:
Robert W. Howard, “Linking Extreme Precocity and Adult Eminence: A Study of Eight Prodigies at International Chess,”
High Ability Studies
19, no. 2 (2008): 117–30.

David Feldman has lost touch
:
David Feldman, telephone interview, July 6, 2015.

Pursuits that once came naturally
:
Jeanne Bamberger, “Growing Up Prodigies: The Midlife Crisis,”
New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development
17 (1982): 61–77.

Critics can seem almost gleeful
:
John Radford, “Prodigies in the Press,”
High Ability Studies
9, no. 2 (1998): 153–64; Goode, “Uneasy Fit of the Precocious and the Average.”

Greg Grossman
:
Greg Grossman, telephone interview, July 12, 2015.

Jonathan Russell
:
Eve Weiss, e-mail, July 3, 2015; Jonathan Russell, telephone interview, Jan. 20, 2014.

Lauren Voiers
:
Lauren Voiers, telephone interview, Sept. 8, 2015, and e-mail; Soeder, “Cleveland Artist Lauren Voiers Sculpts John Lennon Tribute for Liverpool Park.”

Richard Wawro
:
Mike Wawro, telephone interview, Dec. 16, 2014.

Jacob Barnett
:
Kristine Barnett, telephone interview, Dec. 22, 2014, and
Spark;
Wells, “Jacob Barnett, Boy Genius.”

Afterward, he and his mentor
:
Yogesh N. Joglekar and Jacob L. Barnett, “Origin of Maximal Symmetry Breaking in Even PT-Symmetric Lattices,”
Physical Review A
84 (2011).

Jourdan Urbach
:
Jourdan Urbach, interview, July 2, 2014; Todd Spangler, “Ocho, 8-Second Social-Video Startup, Raises $1.65 Million from Mark Cuban and Others,”
Variety,
Nov. 11, 2014.

the paper he had coauthored with Joanne
:
Ruthsatz and Urbach, “Child Prodigy.”

Josh and Zac Tiessen
:
Julie Tiessen, telephone interviews, June 10 and July 24, 2015, and e-mail; Cory Ruf, “Stoney Creek Painter Josh Tiessen One of Canada's ‘Top 20 Under 20,'” CBC Hamilton, June 6, 2013; “Chronic Lyme Disease: Tragedy for Family of Four,” YouCaring, postings dated Aug. 2014 to Sept. 2015.

By the time he was nineteen
:
Sales information provided by Julie Tiessen.

“a blistering three song set”
:
Hunter Foley, “Review+Photos: Animals as Leaders w / After the Burial + Guests,”
Heavy Press,
March 7, 2014.

At eighteen
:
Damian Fanelli, “Double-Hand Thumb Tapping with Eight-String Guitarist Zac Tiessen,”
Guitar World,
Feb. 13, 2015.

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.

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,
228
n,
229
n

cognitive basis sought for,
119
,
131
,
133
,
173

diagnosis of,
40
,
41
,
42
,
189
,
227
n

DNA analysis of,
114
–17

early infantile autism,
41

emergence from,
256
n

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
,
239
n

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
,
256
n

and synesthesia,
111
–12

training the talent,
181
,
185
,
186
,
188
–92,
259
n

treatments for,
191
–92,
204
,
207

unique challenges of studying,
202
–5,
208

and viral infections,
90
,
238
n

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,
259
n

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,
227
n

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,”
226
n

research on,
5
–6,
37
,
204

scientific theories about,
3
,
193
,
232
n

variations in upbringing of,
80

cholesterol,
202

chromosome 1, 1p31-q21 location,
116
–17,
194
,
208

Clark, Trevor,
259
n

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, Katherine,
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
,
229
n

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
,
242
n

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