Savant syndrome is an extremely rare condition, but it is one of the most fascinating developments in the brain discovered by scientists. People with savant syndrome have a very serious disability mentally or physically, like autism, although savant syndrome occurs in other developmental disabilities or central nervous system injury or disease, but they are able to gain a quite unexplainable and amazing talent that stands out in contrast to their disability. With these extraordinary abilities, it would be difficult for scientists to truly understand memory and cognition until they can understand savant syndrome.
Savant syndrome was first recognized by Dr. J. Langdon Down, who also originated the term Down syndrome, in 1887. The term idiot savant was first used to describe people with this condition. Idiot savant was French for “learned idiot” or “knowledgeable idiot” until it was felt inappropriate because not all reported cases of savants went well with the word “idiot”. Since then, savant syndrome has been the term adopted for these conditions.
The reason for why savant syndrome occurs is not yet completely understood, but the link that it has with autism would be important. There have been many theories that have been proposed but none of them had enough information and each theory had too many complications to be considered a correct theory. So at this very moment, there is no reasonable explanation of why savant syndrome occurs.
A low IQ is not a necessary accompaniment of savant syndrome. Even though most savants have a relatively low IQ it can vary from savant. A savant can have an IQ as high as 125 or possibly even higher which means that IQ level does not always release somebody from the possibility of h...
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...Although Kim has these incredible abilities he struggles with ordinary motor skills which lead him trouble walking.
Recent studies have increasingly shown that left hemisphere dysfunction with right hemisphere compensatory process is an important component in many cases involving savant syndrome including savants with autistic disorder. Savant syndrome can be established from birth or acquired after a brain injury or disease in infancy, childhood, or adulthood. Researchers find it very interesting when savant-like skills are gained by people who were previously nondisabled but acquired after a central nervous system injury or disease. With this in mind, it raises the possibility of all the hidden potential, possibly within all of us, in which a person could have and that could lead to a major discovery in the brain that scientists would use for the future.
The cerebellum is usually associated with motor movements. Concerning this topic it is interesting to note the research of Dr. Eric Courchesne. He found that the VI and VII lobes of the cerebellum were smaller in autistics than those of a normal brain. This condition is called hypoplasia. The reverse condition, which is what Piven encountered, is called hyperplasia. Courchesne linked the cerebellum with attention shifting . He proposed that the autistic takes longer time to change the focus of his attention. He believed that this condition was caused by lack of development of the cerebellum in utero caused by perhaps oxygen deprivation, infection, toxic exposure, or genetically.
Hulman, John. University Of California, San Diego. "Autism Linked To Mirror Neuron Dysfunction.”ScienceDaily, 18 Apr. 2005. 1-4.Web. 29 Nov. 2013.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that has been a significant topic of research over the last few decades. While there is no conclusive findings as to what causes Autism, there are many reasonable theories that help to explain how this particular disorder develops. The purpose of this review is to explore and discuss various theories presented in biopsychology as to what causes Autism. Through the examination of several articles and studies, several theories will be presented. Such theories will include the Executive Function Theory, the effect of thimersol and vaccines, the effect of SHANK3, environmental factors, and genetics, all of which will be discussed in further detail.
People have a better understanding of a person with savant syndrome after the movie “Rain Man” in 1988 in which Raymond Babbitt (played by Destin Hoffman). There is a scene in the movie that Raymond tells the waitress her phone number, address, and other related information. Raymond memorized the entire phonebook and immediately recognized her by her name tag. Moreover, savant people beside their mental and physical disabilities have remarkable talent. Savant syndrome is one of the most interesting phenomenons in study of human differences and cognitive psychology. In1887, Dr. J. Langdon Down was first to recognized savant syndrome. He coined the term “Idiot Savant” _ meaning low intelligent and from French, savior, Knowing or Wise
Savant syndrome describes a person having a developmental or mental handicap of some sort with extraordinary mental abilities not found in most people. Christopher?s mathematical interests are reflected in his numbering his chapters strictly with prime numbers, ignoring composite numbers, such as 4 and 6. He is also the first student to take an A level in Maths and to get an A grade at his school. Christopher has a photographic memory and is extremely observant. Similarly, Raymond has an excellent memory and is able to calculate complicated mathematical problems in his head with great speed and accuracy.... ...
The savant abilities are grafted onto the basic autism or mental retardation, and savant syndrome exists as a special condition in either of those two disabilities.
The movie Rain Man enforces the belief that a majority of individuals that possess exceptional intellectual qualities are often overlooked because of a disability or a mask that hides their abilities. In the movie, Dustin Hofman, the director, introduces the viewers to the character of Raymond Rabbit, who is suffering from the autistic disorder. Raymond also suffers from Savant syndrome, a brain dysfunction that may degenerate to dementia. Rabbit exuded amazing memory in particular elements. However, he experienced communication disorders associated with autism, whereby he was unable of expressing himself in some instances. Thus, Rabbit would demonstrate memory for baseball statistics, ability to count cards, or the phonebook. However, his
There are many people that have unique abilities with the savant syndrome. One of the most outstanding ones would be Kim peek within an unique ability of memorizing in excuses of 7700 of books.
At one point or another we’ve all probably heard the name, Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and/or Nikola Tesla in our academic careers. For the few who didn’t pay much attention when going over the work of these men, all three were practically “rock stars” in their respective fields of physics and engineering. So, what about names like Vincent van Gogh, Mark Twain, Mozart and Bill Gates? What could three men who helped shape our understanding of the world have in common with a post-Impressionist painter, an American author, distinguished composer, and multi-billionaire? The answer…autism. Through retrospective diagnosis and research, all seven men have been speculated to have had autism or display symptoms and behavioral traits of autistic individuals.
Autism savant is “individuals with autism who have extraordinary skills not exhibited by most people” In his case a rarity of high functional autism. Let’s analyzed the criteria for someone with autism. I will display the three criteria’s that are listed in the DSM-5 “Autism Spectrum Disorder” the first criteria is deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts. Meaning having the inability to communicate effectively with a variety of different individuals. At the custody scene the doctor asked Raymond a series of questions. The specific questions that the doctor kept asking Raymond was “Do you want to stay with your brother Charles?” Raymond was unable to make the distinction between staying with his brother or staying at the mental facility with Dr. Bruner. Raymond kept repeating the same question and rocking back and forth. Another instance is when Raymond was at the casino talking to a lady, but was unable to answer any of her questions with a direct response. As you can see he was unable to communicate effectively and engaged in a conversation beyond a few words such as “yeah, and I don’t
Autism is a brain dysfunction genetically passed down and resulting with abnormalities in the corpus callosum which allows for one to efficiently communicate. Amygdala which facilitates regular emotions and social behavior, and lastly the cerebellum which determines hand eye and motor skill as well as neuron activity that affect the brain in autism. Spect scans of children with autism show an unusual amount of nerve fibers in the brain. At birth their brains are disproportionately smaller than most beings but in short lapse of a year there brains grow rapidly and above average for their age at a year and a half old. All these facets play a role in the main reasoning for lack of transmission from one side to the other (delaying responses and reactions). In scientific research there is no clear explanation of which autism originates or is spawne...
Down syndrome is a very common disorder now a day’s, but not many know what it actually is. Down syndrome was a topic that was not as common back in that day. “John Langdon Down, an English physician, published an accurate description of a person with Down syndrome. It was this scholarly
There is no known single cause of autism. Researchers are investigating a number of possible theories including genetics, heredity, medical problems, problems during pregnancy or delivery, as well as environmental influences. It is widely accepted that it is caused by abnormalities in the brain structure or function. There is evidence from neuropathological studies that autism has its origins in abnormal brain development early in prenatal life which continues postnatally, showing acceleration in brain growth measured by head circumference (Zwaigenbaum, L., Bryson, S., Rogers, T., Roberts, W., Brian, J., & Szatmari, P., 2005). The disorder also seems to have a genetic basis, although researchers have yet to find the specific genes that link to the onset of autism. There could be a cluster of genes that have somehow interfered with normal brain development and function. Studies show that twins of children with autism were more likely to be autistic themselves than the regular population, demonstrating there is a heredity lin...
The Autism Spectrum is a mystery. With no cause or cure, researchers have been working hard, to the best of their abilities, to diagnose, treat, and educate those with autism. For centuries, since 1943, with enhanced technology, the view on autism has improved tremendously. New advancements have been developed to diagnose autism earlier, help create more successful treatments, and to help better an educational plan for people with autism.
Savant syndrome isn’t bad or harmful at all to the autistic person it is actually highly beneficial to the person and other people so there is no need for treatment for this. There have been no previous records of anyone trying to treat savant. A big benefit that Charlie had from Raymond was being able to count playing cards. Charlie taught his brother how to play black jack. After Charlie took Raymond to the casinos in Las Vegas Raymond help Charlie when a bunch of money.