Psychologist probes possible link between prodigy, autism
New book contends young geniuses may inform study of developmental disorder
Joanne Ruthsatz and Kimberly Stephens
Current, $28
In 1998, Joanne Ruthsatz traveled to Louisiana to meet a 6-year-old musical genius. Ruthsatz, a graduate student at the time, hoped to evaluate the boy as part of her work “unearthing the inner workings of the prodigy mind.” While taking a break from testing her subject, Ruthsatz met the boy’s cousin — a nonverbal teenager with autism. She suddenly wondered: Could there be a link between one boy’s talent and his relative’s autism?