First published July 3, 2021.
Adhara Pérez Sánchez is a Mexican girl, born in 2011, who became known around the world as a child prodigy. She was diagnosed as autistic at the age of three, finished school years ahead of her peers, enrolled in university engineering courses before she was ten, and earned a master's degree in industrial engineering with a focus on mathematics at the age of 11. Her stated dream is to become an astronaut and represent Mexico at NASA.
Viral headlines in 2021 claimed that a nine-year-old with an IQ above Einstein's had joined NASA. Neither part of that is accurate as written. Here is what is known about Adhara, where the exaggerations came from, and what her story can teach about gifted and autistic children.
Who Adhara Pérez Sánchez is
Adhara Maite Pérez Sánchez was born on 28 August 2011 and comes originally from the state of Veracruz, later living in the Mexico City area. Her mother, Nayeli Sánchez, has described how teachers and classmates in kindergarten did not understand her, how she was teased and isolated, and how she became withdrawn and unhappy. The family sought professional help, and she was diagnosed with what was then called Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism.
Specialists also identified her as intellectually gifted. With support from a centre for talented children, she was taught at a pace that suited her. According to Mexican press profiles, she completed primary school at about five, secondary school at six and high school within a year. Her parents have said her interest in mathematics, physics and astronomy showed itself very early, and that her mood improved once she was allowed to learn at her own level.
Her studies and achievements
By the time she was eight or nine, Adhara was studying systems engineering at the Universidad CNCI, an online university in Mexico, and she later enrolled in industrial engineering with an emphasis on mathematics at the Universidad Tecnológica de México (UNITEC). Mexican media later reported that she completed a master's degree in industrial engineering, with a speciality in mathematics, at Cinvestav, the research centre linked to the National Polytechnic Institute, at the age of 11, which would make her one of the youngest people in Mexico ever to hold a master's degree.
Alongside her studies she has given public talks, including a presentation on black holes in Tijuana. She has worked on the idea of a smart bracelet that would track an autistic child's emotional state and send alerts to parents, so they can see signs of distress before a meltdown. She has also written a book about her experiences, including the bullying she faced, aimed at encouraging other children. In 2021 her achievements were recognised by Mexico's Senate, and she was reportedly included in a Forbes México list of influential Mexican women.
Her message to other children has been widely quoted: "Do not give up, and if you don't like where you are, start planning where you want to be!"
NASA, the University of Arizona and the astronaut dream
Adhara has said for years that she wants to be an astronaut, travel to space and represent Mexico at NASA. As a young child she visited NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, and US reporting in 2020 said she had been invited to study astronomy at the University of Arizona. Some articles also mentioned a space programme in Huntsville, Alabama, home of the US Space and Rocket Center and its Space Camp.
None of that means she joined NASA. NASA is a US federal agency, and its astronaut corps is open only to US citizens who meet strict requirements, including a relevant degree, professional experience and passing long-duration spaceflight physicals. A visit to a space centre, an invitation to study or a place at a summer programme are all real opportunities, but they are not employment at the agency. The 2021 headlines turned a dream into an accomplished fact.
The dream itself is not unrealistic. Mexico has produced astronauts before: Rodolfo Neri Vela flew on the Space Shuttle in 1985, and José Hernández, born to Mexican immigrant farm workers in California, flew in 2009. In 2022 Katya Echazarreta became the first Mexican-born woman to go to space, on a private Blue Origin flight. Routes to space are widening, and a young engineer with Adhara's background could find one.
The IQ of 162 and the Einstein comparison
Adhara's IQ is usually reported as 162. That figure comes from her family and from the centre that assessed her; the details of which test was used and how it was scored have not been published. An IQ of 162 on a standard scale would place someone far above the average of 100, but scores at the extremes are less precise, and different tests can give quite different numbers for the same child.
The comparison with Albert Einstein is a myth worth retiring. Einstein never took an IQ test, and the figure of 160 that is often attached to him is a guess made long after his death. Comparing a measured score with an invented one tells us nothing. It also distracts from what is actually impressive about Adhara: the work she has done and the obstacles she has overcome.
Autism, giftedness and the risk of bullying
Adhara's story touches on what specialists call "twice-exceptional" children: those who are both gifted and have a disability or difference such as autism, ADHD or dyslexia. These children are easy to misunderstand. Their strengths can hide their difficulties, and their difficulties can hide their strengths. A child who is bored, anxious or socially out of step may be labelled as badly behaved rather than supported.
Since 2013 the main diagnostic manuals no longer treat Asperger's syndrome as a separate condition; it is now included within autism spectrum disorder. Autism affects social communication and how a person experiences the world, not intelligence as such. Some autistic people have exceptional abilities in particular areas, many do not, and all of them deserve the same respect.
Bullying is a common experience for autistic children and gifted children alike, and both groups can be at higher risk of anxiety and depression. Adhara's family has said her low mood lifted once she was understood and challenged. For parents who are worried about a child's development, behaviour or mood, the best first step is to talk to a doctor or a qualified specialist who can arrange a proper assessment.
What happens to child prodigies
People who read about very young graduates often wonder what becomes of them. Research on gifted children, including long-running studies in the United States, suggests that most go on to do well, but not necessarily in spectacular or famous ways. Early speed is not the same thing as lifelong achievement, and children pushed into the spotlight can struggle with pressure, isolation and the expectations of strangers.
What seems to matter most is support: adults who let a child learn at the right pace, protect their time to play and make friends, and treat their interests as their own rather than as a performance. In Adhara's case, the people around her appear to have done exactly that. Whether or not she one day reaches space, her story is already a reminder that a child who is teased for being different may simply need to be understood.
Sources: NBC San Diego: girl, 8, with IQ of 162 hopes to become an astronaut; El Imparcial, May 2025: profile of Adhara Pérez; originally reported by The Mind Unleashed.
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