Autistic Boy With Higher IQ Than Einstein Discovers His Gift After Removal From State-Run Therapy
4th June 2013By Carolanne Wright
Contributing Writer for Wake Up World
In yet another example of how an
out-of-control Goliath state system can cause more harm than good, a
teenage boy who was diagnosed with autism at a young age has risen to
stellar heights after quitting the special ed system with the help of
his concerned mother.
State therapy specialists claimed Jacob
Barnett would never tie his shoes, read or function normally in society.
But the boy’s mother realized when Jacob was not in therapy, he was
doing “spectacular things” completely on his own.
She decided to trust her instinct and
disregard the advice of the professionals. Instead of following a
standardized special needs educational protocol, she surrounded Jacob
with all the things that inspired passion for him – and was astonished
at the transformation that took place.
Don’t fix what’s not broken
Following a diagnosis of autism at age
two, Jacob was subjected to a cookie cutter special education system
that focused on correcting what he couldn’t do compared to normal
children. For years, teachers attempted to convince Kristine Barnett
that her son would only be able to learn the most basic of life skills.
When exposed to the state system of
educational therapy, Kristine noticed Jacob would withdraw deeply and
refuse to speak with anyone. Even though she found it “terrifying to fly
against the advise of the professionals,” she knew in her heart “that
if Jake stayed in special ed, he would slip away,” Kristine relates in
her memoir, The Spark: A Mother’s Story of Nurturing Genius.
So began a journey for Jacob that would
lead to such unexpected achievement that the whole premise of
standardized therapy for this ‘special needs’ child would be blown to
bits.
A path of passion and discovery
After years of frustration and little
progress, Kristine made a radical decision in the eyes of the special ed
system — she took Jacob out of school and prepared him for kindergarten
herself. As described in the New York Daily Times:
She let him explore the things he wanted to explore. He studied patterns and shadows and stars. At the same time, she made sure that he enjoyed “normal” childhood pleasures – softball, picnics – along with other kids his age.“I operate under a concept called ‘muchness’,” Kristine said “which is surrounding children with the things they love – be it music, or art, whatever they’re drawn to and love.”
By the time Jacob reached the age of 11, he entered college and is currently studying condensed matter physics at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis. According to an email Professor Scott Tremaine wrote to Jacob’s family:
“The theory that he’s working on involves several of the toughest problems in astrophysics and theoretical physics … Anyone who solves these will be in line for a Nobel Prize.”
Jacob also has an IQ of 170 — higher
than that of Einstein. He is history’s youngest astrophysics researcher,
has spoken at a New York TED (Technology, Entertainment & Design)
conference, and appeared on a variety of news interviews, including 60 Minutes and the Time magazine website.
Not bad for someone who was classified
by state experts as so severely disabled that he would never tie his own
shoes or learn to read. If Jacob had stayed within the system, the
prediction may very well have come true.
Sources for this article include:
About the author:
Carolanne enthusiastically believes if we want to see change in the world, we need to be the change. As a nutritionist, natural foods chef and wellness coach, Carolanne has encouraged others to embrace a healthy lifestyle of organic living, gratefulness and joyful orientation for over 13 years. Through her website Thrive-Living.net she looks forward to connecting with other like-minded people from around the world who share a similar vision. Follow Carolanne on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Carolanne enthusiastically believes if we want to see change in the world, we need to be the change. As a nutritionist, natural foods chef and wellness coach, Carolanne has encouraged others to embrace a healthy lifestyle of organic living, gratefulness and joyful orientation for over 13 years. Through her website Thrive-Living.net she looks forward to connecting with other like-minded people from around the world who share a similar vision. Follow Carolanne on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
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