Albert Einstein and LD: An Evaluation of the Evidence

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.