Is it Brilliance, Protégée or Extremely Talented?
Brilliance, protégée, or extremely talented are terms often used with one who has high intellect or spectacular talents that defy what is considered the norm. Not often do we see the term brilliance utilized outside of this arena. There are however times when one takes pause to explore the extraordinary accomplishments which do not seem to fit perfectly inside the box as the world would have. We have seen this around the world, children completing their college education long before their counterparts complete their high school education. Musical talents which cause the world to take note, whether it be because of the age of the musician or their extraordinary abilities.
A disorder that has been demonstrative of spectacular and creative abilities is Autism. According to the American Autism Association, Autism is “…childhood-onset developmental disorder…defined by a triad of deficits in social reciprocity, communication, and repetitive behaviors or interests, each of which can occur at different levels of severity.” [1]
“Autistic people are often thought of as ‘disabled,’ but maybe it is the non-autistic people who truly are disabled in understanding the brilliance that could lie behind autism.” [2]. It is often thought of as an anomaly when a child, or person, who is considered ‘disabled’ demonstrates creative abilities beyond what is considered possible.
In 2012, Maia Szalavitz wrote about a study of eight child prodigies, conducted by Ruthsatz, J., & Urbach. The found considerable similarities and characteristics — along with high levels of autistic traits. Additionally, Szalavitz conveyed that, while there are obvious similarities with extraordinary talent and the autistic spectrum, little research has been embarked upon to date. [3]
Glenn Gould is a clear example of this phenomena, with his extraordinary abilities attracting controversy as the possibility of an autism diagnosis emerged.
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1. Association, A. A. (2013, October 20). American Autism Association. Retrieved from American Autism Association
http://www.myautism.org/what-is-autism
2. Wise, Caitie. Forming Pathways: A Theoretical Review of Autism. Diss. 2010
3. Szalavitz, M. (2012, July 10). What Genius and Autism Have in Common. Time
