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Abstract
Historical figures suspected of having learning disabilities are often subjected to retrospective diagnoses. One such figure is Albert Einstein. Several organizations that promote the interests of individuals with learning disabilities claim that Einstein had a learning disability A review of biographical sources, however, provides little or no evidence to support this claim. The claim derives its force not from evidence but from a powerful belief-that the greatest among us suffer from some impairment-and from an equally powerful desire to enhance the status of a marginalized group by including within it exceptional individuals.
Historical figures are often subjected to retrospective analyses that diagnose a disease or condition that was either not yet discovered or not associated with them during their lifetimes. These analyses proceed despite all the difficulties attendant to diagnoses of deceased persons, and they are often advanced to explain either major achievements or the cause of death. Albert Einstein, for example, has been the subject of such a retrospective, one asserting that he had a learning disability. This article examines that claim, briefly traces its history, and evaluates its merits.
Because disputing the claim that Einstein had a learning disability could be interpreted as an attack on persons with learning disabilities, a few words need to be said about the motives for examining the claim. The purpose of this article was to answer the historical question, "Is there sufficient evidence to assert that Albert Einstein had a learning disability?" I answer this question as best I can by examining available historical evidence and drawing judicious inferences from that evidence. The answer is not calibrated to satisfy any constituency. An affirmative answer clearly would enhance the social prestige of persons with learning disabilities, but a negative response would not diminish their humanity. Including Einstein among persons with learning disabilities without sufficient warrant, however, would distort the truth and thereby do a disservice to Einstein and to those with learning disabilities.
Definitions of Learning Disabilities
Clinical Definition
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) establishes a clinical definition of learning disabilities: "Learning Disorders are diagnosed when the individual's achievement on individually administered, standardized tests in reading, mathematics, or written expression is substantially below that expected for...