What Do Child Prodigies Have In Common With Kids With Autism?

The Brain





Photo credit:

‘Benidorm, Spain’ drawn in 1979 by Richard Wawro. MIke Wawro, CC BY

As a toddler growing up in the 1950s, Richard Wawro threw violent tantrums. Often, he would tap the same piano key for long stretches of time.

When he was three, his parents took him for testing at a nearby hospital. They were told that he was moderately to severely retarded. His family, however, never believed that his IQ was as low as the experts claimed.

A special education teacher began working with Richard when he was six. She introduced him to drawing with crayons, which he took to quickly.