Who is savant

These include behaviors such as obsessive preoccupation with, and memorization of, music and sports trivia, license plate numbers, maps, historical facts, or obscure items such as vacuum cleaner motor sounds, for example. Talented savants are those persons in whom musical, artistic, mathematical or other special skills are more prominent and highly honed, usually within an area of single expertise, and are very conspicuous when viewed against their overall handicap.

The term prodigious savant is reserved for those very rare persons in this already uncommon condition where the special skill or ability is so outstanding that it would be spectacular even if it were to occur in a non-handicapped person. There are probably fewer than 75 prodigious savants living worldwide at the present time who would meet this high threshold of special skill. What are typical savant skills? Musical Talent. Artistic Talent.

Calendar Calculating. Other Skills. Find Savant Syndrome Library Resources. Enter your location to receive information about nearby SSM Health services. My location is: Why do we ask? Why do we ask? We will never share this information.

You are now leaving the Treffert Center section of our website. Cancel Continue. Some people can multiply and divide large numbers in their head. Some can play up to 22 instruments, measure distance without using any instruments, learn languages in a few days, or memorise huge volumes of information. In the movie, Raymond is portrayed as having autism, however, Kim actually had a condition where the bundle of nerves that connect the two hemispheres of the brain was missing. Kim memory abilities were astounding.

During his life, he memorised over 12, books including the Bible, and was an expert on 15 subject areas including geography, music, literature, history, and sports. Amazingly, Kim could actually read two pages at once, his left eye read the left page, and his right eye read the right page.

It only took him 8 seconds to read and memorise the two pages. Find out more about Kim Peek in our blog. When Leslie was born prematurely, he had brain damage, cerebral palsy, and had to have his eyes surgically removed due to glaucoma.

When Leslie was put up for adoption at 6 months old, May, a local nurse who was 52 with 5 children of her own, welcomed him into her family. When Leslie was 16, in the middle of the night May woke to music playing.

Despite Leslie having no musical training, he began to play all styles of music from ragtime to classical. All it took for Leslie to play a song perfectly, was for him to hear the music once watch Leslie on YouTube. For example, some uniquely talented autistic artists and musicians are able to sell their work almost always through parents or managers. In most cases, though, savant skills are " splinter skills ," meaning skills that, while real and significant, are not used in daily life.

For example, the ability to recite pages of the phone book from memory, while a prodigious feat, serves no meaningful purpose outside of itself. Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Treffert DA. The savant syndrome: an extraordinary condition. A synopsis: past, present, future. Treffert, DA. Savant syndrome - myths and realities. Wisconsin Medical Society website. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellHealth.

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