Savant Syndrome
Savant Syndrome is a rare condition characterized by extraordinary abilities often coupled with developmental disabilities, most commonly autism spectrum disorders. The term gained public awareness through the 1988 film "Rain Man," featuring a character with remarkable memory skills and talents in areas such as mathematics and music. Approximately one in ten individuals with autism may have savant syndrome, with many displaying exceptional mnemonic skills or unique talents in fields like art and mechanical abilities. Savant Syndrome can be categorized into three subtypes: talented savants, who exhibit notable skills despite cognitive impairments; prodigious savants, who possess extraordinary abilities from birth; and acquired savants, who develop skills following brain trauma. The condition is predominantly seen in males and is more prevalent among those with autism than in other neurological conditions. Understanding savant syndrome offers insights into cognition, memory, and brain function, particularly given the association with left-hemispheric brain damage found in many autistic savants. While many savants excel in a specific area, instances of possessing multiple skills are more frequently noted in those with autism.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Savant Syndrome
The 1988 movie Rain Man introduced millions of moviegoers to a rare disorder called savant syndrome, in which an individual displays an extraordinary ability of some sort with advanced memory skills, typically along with some level of developmental disability. In the movie, Dustin Hoffman portrays Raymond Babbitt, a man who has this disorder due to autism. Raymond’s special traits included an astounding memory for baseball statistics and the phone book, as well as the ability to count cards in Las Vegas. People with autism spectrum disorders or other developmental disabilities may be born with savant syndrome; a 2009 study estimated that as many as one in ten people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders may show some sign of savant syndrome. It can also develop later in childhood or even adulthood after a brain injury or with a certain type of dementia, but is much rarer in these cases. It occurs more frequently in males than females. Savant syndrome is important to study because a deeper understanding of its causes could lead to greater insight into the function of cognition, memory, and the brain.
Overview
Approximately one in ten autistic persons show some savant skills. There are three subtypes of savants, talented savants, prodigious savants and acquired savants. Talented savants have cognitive impairments but display a specialized skill that is notable given their level of disability. A prodigious savant is someone born with a skill level equivalent to or greater than that of a prodigy, regardless of any cognitive disability. This type is extremely rare. The most common trait of prodigious savants is their seemingly limitless mnemonic skills, with many having eidetic or photographic memories. In contrast to the first two types, there are acquired savants. This type of savant starts out with no extraordinary abilities, but due to brain trauma suddenly develops new abilities in areas such as artistic brilliance, mathematical mastery, and photographic memory.
Darold Treffert is a world recognized expert on savant syndrome and has diagnosed many of the living savants. Prodigious and acquired savants often display an obsessive compulsion to perform their special skill and they exhibit deficits in social and language skills. Several studies dating back to the 1970s have found left-hemispheric brain damage in autistic savants. The neurological causes of acquired savant syndrome are poorly understood. However, savantism is found more commonly among people with autism spectrum disorders than other neurological groups. Males outnumber females by an approximate six-to-one ratio in savant syndrome compared with an approximate four-to-one ratio in autism spectrum disorder.
Savant skills typically occur in five general categories including music, art, calendar calculating, mathematics, and mechanical or spatial skills. Music skills are usually performance oriented, most often with the piano, and may display perfect pitch. However, composing in the absence of performing has been reported, as has been the ability to play multiple instruments. Mathematics includes the ability to perform lightning-quick calculations but the absence of other simple arithmetic abilities. Mechanical and spatial skills includes the capacity to measure distances precisely without benefit of instruments, the ability to construct complex models or structures with painstaking accuracy, or the mastery of mapmaking and direction finding.
Generally, a savant exhibits a single special skill, but in some instances, several skills exist simultaneously. The incidence of multiple skills appears to be higher in savants with autism than in savants with other developmental disabilities. Whatever the special skill, it is always associated with prodigious memory.
Bibliography
Burger, John Robert. “Qubits Underlie Gifted Savants.” NeuroQuantology 9.2 (2011): 351–60. Print.
Bókkon, I., V. Salari, F. Scholkmann, J. Dai, and F. Grass. “Interdisciplinary Implications on Autism, Savantism, Asperger Syndrome and the Biophysical Picture Representation: Thinking in Pictures.” Cognitive Systems Research 22–23 (2013): 67–77. Print.
Conniff, Richard. “Pan-Seared Hama Hama Sea Rocket Topped with Toothwort Roots and Aged Lichen.” Outside 36 (2011): 101–26. Print.
Fehr, Thorsten, Gregory L. Wallace, Peter Erhard, and Manfred Herrmann. “The Neural Architecture of Expert Calendar Calculation: A Matter of Strategy?” Neurocase 17.4 (2011): 360–71. PubMed. NIH, Web 23 Aug. 2013.
Howlin, Patricia. “Understanding Savant Skills in Autism.” Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology 54.6 (2012) 484. Print.
Piore, Adam. “The Genius Within.” Popular Science 282.3 (2013): 46–53. Print.
Saloviita, Timo, and Liisa Ruusila. “Incidence of Savant Syndrome in Finland.” Perceptual and Motor Skills 91.1 (2000): 120–23. Print.
Skuse, David H. “The Extraordinary Political World of Autism.” A Journal of Neurology 134.8 (2011): 2436–39. Print.
Snyder, Allan W., Sophie Ellwood, and Richard P. Chi. “Switching on Creativity.” Scientific American Mind 23.5 (2012): 58–62. Print.