The Gifted
Late Talker
And the importance of an accurate diagnosis to set your child up for success!
Kaci Smith, LMFT
Mom to a Gifted Late Talker!
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in California
Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist
Member of the National Association for Gifted Children
The journey to change the world starts with one child.
Your child may or may not be the next Einstein, but sadly, because he (or she) is gifted and late talking just like Einstein was, he is more likely to be misdiagnosed by many professionals. It is so critical that gifted late talking children receive an accurate diagnosis in order to get them started on the right path for their future- one that should be pretty bright!
Common Misdiagnoses &
Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Kids
Many characteristics of gifted children, and late talking children, overlap with criteria in the DSM-V
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Sensory Processing Disorder
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
For me, this is more than just a passion.
I first noticed my son's gifts shortly after he turned one. By two years old, I became concerned with his late talking. He is a gifted late talker with some other Autistic-like traits. However, he does not have the core features of Autism, and is at high risk for a misdiagnosis from well-meaning providers.
I spent years trying to piece together information from the internet, books and academic articles, and from conversations with providers, and synthesize it with my professional training in clinical psychology, to understand my son's peculiar presentation.
My goal is to help streamline the process for other parents, and to support them with trusting their parenting intuition in order to get an accurate diagnosis for their similar presenting children!
Mary & Steven Camarata
Dr. Steven Camarata is a professor of Psychiatry and Speech and Hearing Sciences at Vanderbilt University. His wife Mary is a highly skilled Speech and Language Pathologist. They have been assessing and supporting late talkers for over 40 years! Click on any of the images below to check out their work!
Late Talkers Foundation YouTube Channel
Mary & Steven Camarata's
Late Talkers Foundation Website
Dr. Camarata's Book
on Late Talking Children
Other Relevant Sources:
Thomas Sowell is an American economist who first used the term "Einstein Syndrome" to describe gifted late talkers. James T. Webb was a gifted education researcher. Darold A. Treffert was a psychiatrist and research director who specialized in the epidemiology of autism spectrum disorders and savant syndrome.
Books by Thoms Sowell
Dr. Treffert's Foundation
James T. Webb's Book
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