Adhara Maite Pérez Sánchez is a 12 year old child prodigy from Mexico who currently remains on course to get her master’s degree in industrial engineering. With a paramount IQ score of 162, she scores higher than the physicists Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.
Despite Sanchez’s autism, she proves that having a neurological disorder does not dictate one’s academic capabilities. On top of getting her master’s degree, she still wants to learn more about space and hopes to be part of NASA one day. She has already received much acclaim for her intelligence, but her story has not always been so stagnant.
The making of a child prodigy
Adhara grew up in Tláhuac, a borough of Mexico City. While growing up in Tláhuac, she lived in a low-income household with parents who were very supportive of her dreams. At three years old, she was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.
Asperger’s syndrome is a form of autism spectrum disorder that makes it hard for people diagnosed with it to socially interact with people. It causes them, especially children who are diagnosed with it, to have difficulty relating to others. Moreover, they also have the capability of possessing an obsession over things or subjects they find interesting.
Though her diagnosis has proved not to limit her to achieve her desired ambitious goals, others used it as a reason to bully her relentlessly. Her classmates would ostracize her and would usually pick on her because of her Asperger’s syndrome. She was seen as odd and even labeled a ‘weirdo’ by her peers.
Intelligence of people with ASD
There is a societal perception about the intelligence of people with the Autistic Spectrum Disorder. People would usually underestimate their intellectual capabilities while sometimes infantilizing them as well. If they are not being infantilized, people would usually treat them in a patronizing tone or even be overt about the superiority they feel by ridiculing or mocking them.
However, some studies suggest that people who have ASD are much more intelligent than those who are not on the spectrum. According to an article by Dr. Natalie Engelbrecht, research conducted by Bernard J. Crespi “suggests that autism is a ‘disorder of high intelligence’ as a number of recent studies have found a positive genetic correlation between autism genes and measures of mental ability.”
Moreover, it also “indicates that alleles for autism overlap broadly with alleles for high intelligence.” High IQ and autism have also shown a connection as they both share convergent correlates. For instance, brain size being larger, brain growth being faster, attention increasing, and having a strong interest in the subject of engineering and physical sciences.
Defying the doubters
Even though she was deemed an outcast by her classmates, she has been able to prove them wrong in many ways. Adhara has been able to not let the verbal abuse ruin her ambitions of pursuing what she liked and has even passed most peers of her age in school. She had graduated elementary school at the age of five, then she went to high school where she finished at the age of nine. At age eleven, she attended Mexico’s National Polytechnic Institute, where she got her degree in Systems Engineering.
On top of already receiving a degree, her thirst for acquiring more knowledge seems to be perpetual. She went back to university and is currently pursuing another degree in industrial engineering and is taking courses to learn more about astronomy. Adhara was invited by the president of the University of Arizona to study at their school but declined to stay in Mexico.
Adhara’s dream is to become the first Mexican woman to become an astronaut and be part of space exploration. She wants to be able to work for NASA but knows she will need to acquire even more knowledge by studying astrophysics. In the meantime, she is currently a STEM ambassador for the Mexican Space Agency.
Adhara is an inspiration to all
Adhara gained an interest in astrophysics from the late Stephen Hawking, a theoretical physicist and cosmetologist who talked everything about space. Her inspiration from Hawking has allowed her to create aspirations for herself and has also inspired a lot of women and little girls to pursue their passions.
She dismissed a lot of the doubts cast upon her, refusing to be victimized by her peers who called her names. Her story is a reminder to always dream big and not let reductive comments get in the way of your desire.
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