Savant Syndrome
RUNNING HEAD: SAVANT SYNDROME
Savant Syndrome: A Paradoxical Condition
Teresa Ford, Catrina Johnson-Blount, and Jessica Sackett
Grace Bible College
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Savant Syndrome
Savant Syndrome: Disorder or Different “Intelligence”?
Savant syndrome is a misunderstood phenomenon. Once considered a sign of idiocy or
2 lack of intelligence, it is now understood that those with this condition have a different way of looking at the world around them. Treffert (2011) explains the recent attention to savant syndrome:
[T]he movie Rain Man [ ] performed a massive public educational service with respect to both savant syndrome and autism, along with being an admirable and entertaining production in its own right. It made the term autistic savant a household word, and did so in an accurate and sensitive fashion.
Media attention such as this has made us more aware that there are those among us who are gifted, yet inexplicably possess disabilities that make it difficult for them to function in areas outside of their exceptional skill.
“Dr. Benjamin Rush, the father of American Psychiatry, provided one of the earliest reports of savant syndrome in 1789” when he detailed information about a man who, although he displayed very little intelligence, could calculate with incredible speed and accuracy the number of seconds a person had lived (Treffert, 2011). Myers (2011) defines savant syndrome as “a condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill, such as in computation or drawing” (p. 314). Some believe that savant syndrome is a form of autism. “Savant skills are, by definition, ‘splintered’ or dissociated from the usual matrix in which one usually finds talent” (Miller, 2005 p. 362).
To put it simply, savant syndrome carries with it contrasts that cause scientists to marvel at the complexity of the human brain. For it is true of savant syndrome that the person affected by it is exceptionally brilliant in the area of their gifting while being developmentally disabled in all

Savant Syndrome other areas. It was that very paradox led scientists to label the earliest of those displaying these
3 traits as “idiot savants,” due to their lack of high intelligence quotient scores despite their incredible abilities (Treffert, 2011).
Savant syndrome is associated with a phenomenal memory, which aids in the recognition of patterns in everything from musical rhythms to calendar counting. Lengthy passages and minute details can be recalled after only being exposed once to the work or route, often with a sensitivity to detail that reaches levels of artistry. The most common symptoms are exceptional skills in specific areas such as music, art, and numbers. The savant has the ability to perform musical arrangements, paint brilliant canvases, or calculate astronomical sums without any lessons or practice. However, savants also experience difficulty socially and with communication. “In the case of savants, where language capabilities are reduced, other forms of expression are developed, as the right brain compensates for the left brain” (Shah).
Possible effects of savant syndrome on those closest to the affected person include a profound sense of pride in the person’s special ability. What parent would not be proud of a child playing a piano concerto after hearing it one time without ever taking a lesson? By the same token, family members may not understand a savant’s obsession with numbers or counting. They may also be at a loss for ways to communicate with their loved one and include them in family activities in a meaningful way.
As with any illness, family members will seek understanding of the condition. However, because savant syndrome is still being studied, it may be difficult for a family to find information that would assist them in their loved one’s growth and development. According to Shah, autistic savants may have a need to live very regimented lives and follow specific routines. This can be difficult for family members whose lives deviate from that schedule. Some may resent the savant

Savant Syndrome for becoming the “center of attention” within the family structure while existing in an inner world that seems to be far removed from the rest of the family. They may also have to sacrifice
4 their own ambitions in order to care for a developmentally disabled family member who, although he can reproduce a Picasso painting, cannot tie his own shoes or brush his teeth.
Family members may also find it difficult to have a family member with such exceptional talent that cannot be developed in the traditional sense. They may mourn for what could have been if only the gifted one was “normal.” Shah states, “In a sense, the unrealized potential here is much less tragic than the tinge of genius which touches the lives of the autistic savant.” To be in the presence of such greatness, while in the presence of such challenges, is daunting for anyone who is close to a person with savant syndrome.
The cause of savant syndrome is not precisely known. Scientists have discovered, however, that it can be congenital or acquired following a brain injury. It appears that the right brain attempts to accommodate a loss of function in the left brain by developing a greater capacity than is commonly experienced (Shah). According to Shah, “The true cause of autism is not currently known, but several theories exist which link the disorder to genetic and environmental factors.” Speaking specifically of savant syndrome, Miller adds, “[S]avants are quite rare. Assembling a sample with sufficient power to detect behavior-genetic linkages would be a daunting task. Second, savants typically have a variety of other physical and psychological impairments” (Miller, 2005, p. 362 (citing Miller, 1999)).
Discussing the cause of savant syndrome, Miller states
Early accounts of savants have suggested that the physical and mental deprivation associated with their disability might prompt some individuals to fixate on one activity to the exclusion of everything else (Lindsley, 1965). In fact, isolated,

Savant Syndrome highly ritualized behaviors are fairly common in those with disability (Bodfish,
Symons, & Parker, 2000), especially under conditions of environmental deprivation.
(Miller, 2005, p. 367)
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Savant syndrome is more common in males than in females. According to Myers (2011)
“about 4 in 5 people with savant syndrome are males” (p. 315). Additionally, half of those known to be savants are autistic and the other 50% have other forms of developmental disabilities or brain injury or illness. Thus, not all autistic persons are savants and not all savants are autistic.
According to Treffert (2011), treatment of savant syndrome can be problematic. "The question that arises is one of method, whether is it better to eliminate the defects or train the talent" (Treffert, 2011). Some studies have shown that if the talent is formally developed, such development assists the savant in overcoming other developmental disabilities (Treffert, 2011).
Treffert (2011) reports that a savant’s talent can become an opening that will aid in developing other social and communication skills, “without any tradeoff or loss of special abilities for those valuable gains in other areas.”
Treatment of savant syndrome requires an evenly-focused “educational approach that includes social skills, training, counseling and opportunities for interactions with others, together with encouraging savant skills but not letting them dominate the individual's life” (Treffert,
2011). It is important not to strive to take the person with savant syndrome completely away from the special skill that centers their existence. “The goal is rather to put them to good use, creatively and patiently, without fear they will either take over the savant's life or disappear from it” (Treffert, 2011).

Savant Syndrome
Miller (2005) discusses whether nature or nurture has the most significant impact on
6 those with savant syndrome. While the answer is not readily apparent due to the small number of identified savants, and the combination of difficulties they face, one can be sure that both will play a prominent role in the quality of life for persons with savant syndrome.

Savant Syndrome
References
Miller, L. K. (2005). What the Savant Syndrome Can Tell Us About the Nature and Nurture of
Talent. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 28 (3/4), 361-373.
Myers, D. G. (2011). Exploring Psychology (8th ed.). New York: Worth Publishers.
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Shah, S. (n.d.). Autism and Savant Syndrome.
Retrieved March 2011, from Serendip: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1805
Treffert, D. A. (2011). Savant Syndrome: 2000 and Beyond.
Retrieved March 2012, from
Wisconsin Medical Society: http://www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/savant_syndrome/savant_articles/savant_2000