Ep. #7 Einstein Syndrome: The Details & Telling The Difference

Dr. Camarata and Collette Weiland explore the characteristics of late talkers and the particular characteristics of a subset of late talkers associated with the term "Einstein Syndrome."
Please feel free to contact the LATE TALKERS FOUNDATION at:
- [e-mail]
- 615-866-9457
- latetalkers.org/
"Late-Talking: A Symptom or a Stage" is a best-selling book by Stephen Camarata, Ph.D., about late-talking in all its variations. The 2nd edition of the book is about to be released. In these videos, Collette Wieland and Stephen Camarata discuss and explore the questions on the minds of many parents of late-talking children.
"The Einstein Syndrome: Bright Children Who Talk Late" by Thomas Sowell. www.tsowell.com/latetalk2.html
About Thomas Sowell & his book(s): The Einstein Syndrome is a follow-up to Late-Talking Children. While many children who talk late suffer from developmental disorders or autism, there is a certain well-defined group who are developmentally normal or even quite bright yet who may go past their fourth birthday before beginning to talk. These children are often misdiagnosed as autistic or retarded, a mistake that is doubly hard on parents who must first worry about their apparently handicapped children and then see them lumped into special classes and therapy groups where all the other children are clearly very different. Since he first became involved in this issue in the mid-90s, Sowell has joined with Stephen Camarata of Vanderbilt University, who has conducted a much broader, more rigorous study of this phenomenon than the anecdotes reported in Late-Talking Children. Sowell can now identify a particular syndrome, a cluster of common symptoms and family characteristics, that differentiates these late-talking children from others; relate this syndrome to other syndromes; speculate about its causes; and describe how children with this syndrome are likely to develop. (Barnes & Nobel Synopsis)
About Dr. Camarata: Stephen Camarata, Ph.D. CCC-SLP is a late talker himself and is an internationally recognized expert on child development broadly with a focus on how children learn to talk. His clinical and scientific expertise includes speech and language intervention in children with autism, down syndrome, hearing loss, and developmental language disorder (DLD). Dr. Camarata is a professor of Hearing & Speech, Psychiatry, and Otolaryngology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and a Professor of Psychology and Human Development and Special Education at Peabody College, Vanderbilt University. He has written two books related to development, "Late Talking Children: A Symptom or a Stage" MIT Press 2014 and "The Intuitive Parent" Penguin 2017, and has a regular blog on Psychology Today.

[@manyblessings917]

My daughter kind of fits this but may not have ES. We noticed before she could sit on her own that she would stare at picture books for a long time (an hour and maybe longer but I would move her simce she could not move herself). She was very slow to voice words from age 1 to about 26 months. She would learn a new word and say it minimally for about two weeks then stopped saying it completely. By 18 months she had 11 words she was saying and she was not interested in talking much at all. It did not appear there was much going on in her brain. She did a lot of staring and would be very attentive to any book she was being read and could sit still starting at about 4 months whilst being read to and staring at the book. She had zero interest in food and would only eat if she was being read to. I would tell her if she ate a bite then I would read the next sentence. The first time she asked for food was at 3.5 years. After about 26-30 months her vocab just exploded and I could not get her to stop talking. It did not appear that she had any special abilities, especially math and physical (she was a bit floppy physically and we joked she could not fight her way out a paper bag if her life depended on it.) But she started reading at about 4.5 years and before she hit 5 she read her first children's novel, Charlotte's web. By about 5.5 years she was able to skim read novels like The Little White Horse in a few hours and recount pretty much all the details I quizzed her about. Her eyes would track faster than her verbl reading of text auch that if I took the book away she would still be speaking what the text said where her eyes left off, which was one or two sentences ahead of what she was verbalizing. She devoured books, especially older classics and at age 12 started writing poetry in 1500-1600's English style...most adults cannot ir have a hard time understanding it. Her memory is amazing..she can remember relevant KJV scripture in obscure Bible passages and flip to it immediately when we are studying the Bible. Details in the Bible are easily recalled when relevant to conversation. She can do this with all her books. She was born at 35 weeks and also I noticed that her hand coordination for the first seven years or more was not the greatest...she was fumble fingers, dropping things and not gripping things well. She has to tone down the way she communicates, especially with peers because her vocabulary and sentence structure are complex. Does she fit this ES or is this something else?

[@thedraybae5545]

My son fit all of the characteristics for this syndrome. He is now in third grade, eventually caught up to his peers in his delayed speech, potty training, etc. He now is in thirfd grade, tests to be on a fifth grad level with readnig and mathmatics and is fair beyond his years when it comes to analytical thinking, etc. My daughter exhibits the same but did not have the early delays as my son but she has scored extemely high in testing, as well. So, it is intersting to see how one raises children with these charactersistics.

[@alonsogalindo1428]

Does this delay include talking, reading and other areas?

[@nrolevol2]

My son fits this description. He didn't form his first sentence until he turned four and he's currently five and just scored the highest math score in his grade and proved that he knows math several grade levels ahead of his age. He can add and multiply numbers in his head very easily.

[@Late-TalkerJourney]

Ahh, You have a little mathematician! I am glad the information presented here resonates and, we hope, is helpful and motivational for you as you travel your journey with your late talker. Their path sometimes takes different routes. Keep enjoying and believing in him. You are always welcome to contact Late Talkers. We love hearing from families!

[@williamwilliams1000]

Similar situation here. My 3 year old didn’t start talking clearly until after he turned 3. He’s 3 and a half and he can do addition, subtraction, and multiplication, and he understands it, not rote memorization. He’s more visual though, so he doesn’t do the calculations in his head, he counts with his fingers and he’s good at recognizing numbers 1-10 without counting them, sort of by recognizing the number visually, as an image. He was opening child proof locks shortly after his 1st birthday. He’s very visual.

[@postscript456]

The things is you don’t really know if it’s Einstein syndrome or something like autism until they’re older, by which time you’ve missed the window of opportunity to help the child in a meaningful way. There are a lot of design engineers (mechanical, electrical and aerospace) on both sides of my family and there are also several non-autistic late talkers (likely Einstein syndrome) and three with autism- one being my daughter who was thought to just be a late talker - turns out it’s autism and she should have had a lot more help in her early years than she had (I was shamed for getting her the help she had but that’s another story!). I also think we as humans try to put people in a box and the fact that there is autism and likely cases of Einstein syndrome in my family tells me that there is perhaps a shared genetic basis for the two conditions and maybe it’s not as black and white as we like say. The Autism spectrum is also pretty wide now…!

[@Late-TalkerJourney]

Hello, We deeply appreciate the comments on the channel and will do our best to address them. Einstein syndrome is not a clinical condition or a diagnosis; rather, it is a collection of traits that some late talkers demonstrate in terms of advanced visual spatial-analytical abilities in the presence of delayed onset of language. Autism has been continually redefined in the past 40 years that I have been working with late-talking children of all kinds. Today, it is not unusual for adults who have taken an online quiz or read up to self-identify as autistic or neurodiverse. Adults are welcome to do this, but in terms of late-talking children, it is essential to maintain adherence to the core features of the diagnostic process for differentiating Autism from other types of developmental differences. Autism has always been defined as a pervasive disorder characterized by a reduced motivation for social communication and social interaction and a clinical level of need for sameness or adherence to routines; repetitive routines. This is in addition to late talking, so late talking by itself should never be the driving feature in diagnosing Autism. Early intervention is absolutely worthwhile -- if it is the right kind of early intervention. Traditional behavioral "Lovaas," misnamed"ABA," or discrete trial ABA can be considered for some children with Autism, but this form of early intervention also has the potential to be harmful. Two important considerations arise when considering differential diagnosis and support. One, an accurate differential diagnosis is crucial and should not be rushed or made without adequate information by persons with expertise. Second, it is important to look at each child and their specific profile and gear the intervention to match the child, not the label. The extent to which an accurate label can facilitate the dynamic process of addressing the child's needs and crafting individualized support is certainly one beneficial aspect of an accurate diagnosis. Bear in mind that appropriate support can be put in place when a definitive diagnosis is unavailable or cannot be confirmed.Always seek help if aspect(s) of your child's development cause you or your pediatrician concern. Bringing your questions, observations, and knowledge of your child, and learning about ways to encourage and support can benefit you and your child. When it comes to your child, remember, you're the one steering the ship, equipped with the knowledge and intuition to make the best decisions for them. Talk with the helpers and trust your understanding of your child's needs and your ability to navigate through choices. I worry about parents being told that if they had only enrolled in"early intervention," their child's Autism would be better or that other developmental conditions would have improved. In many cases, this introduces guilt and second-guessing on the part of a parent, especially mothers, who have put forth much effort to provide wonderful support for their child. The guilt and recriminations are not helpful, and the claims of "If only the parent did . . ." are actually untrue and mostly unfounded. The truth is that a skilled clinician can differentiate between Autism and other clinical conditions such as intellectual disability, speech disorder, language disorder, and typical developmental variation. It is worthwhile to seek out clinicians who perform a thorough differential diagnosis and are not trying to confirmAutism or other preconceived condition (i.e., Apraxia). We look forward to continued interaction with these wonderful families and viewers.Stephen and Mary Camarata.

[@dianametobo3068]

Great video! What are the best activities for parents to do at home with late talking children?

[@Late-TalkerJourney]

We appreciate you watching the channel and are delighted to have you as part of our community! If your child is a toddler or preschooler and experiencing late talking, PLAY is the most effective activity. Play incorporates a multitude of features that encourage language development! The initial step in fostering communication is to promote shared interaction. Within play we can recognize and increase the child's "communicative initiations". This is so critical. The language-promoting features that are embedded within engaged play and the concept of "communicative initiations" and how to increase them, is explained in Course 101: Communicative Initiations. You can find this course free on this channel under the playlist: PARENT SCHOOL, or on the Late Talker Foundation website at latetalkers.org/ (see the courses or got to The Parent School once you are on the site). If you choose to take Course 101, I highly recommended continuing and taking Course 102, The Three-Day Challenge, where you can get a taste of putting what you have learned into practice! We would love to hear your impressions should you choose to do so :-). Although it's natural for parents to be concerned and encourage their child to speak by asking them to name things, posing questions, or putting pressure on them to start talking, patience often yields more productive results. Fun activities and positive interaction serve as a foundation for developing language skills. With late talkers, if we play with a knowledge of the kinds of interaction that promotes talking, the play becomes all the more advantageous. And, often our late talkers benefit or need that kind of boost. Keep enjoying your child. Stephen Camarata.

[@williamwilliams1000]

Similar situation here. My 3 year old didn’t start talking clearly until after he turned 3. He’s 3 and a half and he can do addition, subtraction, and multiplication, and he understands it, not rote memorization. He’s more visual though, so he doesn’t do the calculations in his head, he counts with his fingers and he’s good at recognizing numbers 1-10 without counting them, sort of by recognizing the number visually, as an image. He was opening child proof locks shortly after his 1st birthday. He’s very visual. My parents are immigrants and my dad was a construction worker. I studied Physics in college but I didn’t finish for financial reasons. I’m going back for computer science. Wish me luck.

[@Late-TalkerJourney]

Hello, And, thank you for sharing your experience with your wonderful three-year-old. He seems to have a keen analytical mind, showing a preference for the interests of his parents. Keep cherishing these moments and engage in ways that are meaningful and enjoyable for him every day. Incorporating language recasting into your interactions will complement you interactions activities and support language. Thank you for contributing your experiences. We love hearing from families, and wish you continued joy in parenting your child.

[@user-cn1fb6ud5g]

How can I make an appointment for my son with Dr. Camarata?

[@Late-TalkerJourney]

Hello, Please contact the Late Talker Foundation at [e-mail] or call 615-866-9457.

[@piercehorton6848]

Sitting here at 23 years old really questioning if i have Einstein syndrome instead of the aspergers I was diagnosed with at a young age

[@Late-TalkerJourney]

Good to hear from you! We appreciate your comment. It's not uncommon for individuals who were diagnosed with a disorder in childhood to reassess their experiences as they grow older, particularly in their twenties. It's a time of self-discovery and reflection, and it's natural to question. Remember that labels and diagnoses are not set in stone. What may have seemed like a disorder in childhood might manifest differently or not at all in adulthood. Regardless of whether you had a disorder or not, what's important is how you're feeling now and how you're navigating life. Focus on your strengths, celebrate your uniqueness, and continue to grow and learn; sounds like that’s just what you are doing (!). You have the power to define your own identity and shape your future in a way that feels authentic to you.