What Is Savant Syndrome?
Savant syndrome also known as “wise syndrome is a rare condition and s and occurs when different development disorders coexist with exceptional talents and skills. In this sense, it is associated with disorders such as Asperger’s syndrome and autism spectrum disorder.
Children with this syndrome tend to have high capacities for music, art, mathematics, memory, among others. The clinical diagnosis is usually given during the childhood stage.
Although these extraordinary abilities are good for the little ones, it is very important that the psychological, medical and neuropsychological treatment of the developmental disorder that is suffered is continued.
What are the characteristics of savant syndrome?
This syndrome is usually classified within the childhood development disorders. It is characterized by generating capacities higher than the average of the normal population in certain areas, instead of producing deficits or pathological alterations.
Within the developmental disorders, characterized by significant delays in developmental patterns, this syndrome tends to appear more frequently in autism spectrum disorder or Asperger syndrome. This does not mean that all children with the syndrome have autism, nor that all those with autism have it.
Savantism has as its main characteristic having a low IQ and, at the same time, high capacities in music, memory, art, calculation, spatial vision, sculpture, etc. These abilities are combined, in turn, with great social difficulties, language problems and obsessive interests.
What are the exceptional abilities of savant syndrome?
The talents of people with this syndrome may focus on just one area or several. We are going to see some of the qualities that are most common in savant.
Mechanical and spatial skills
In these skills they stand out above the general population. Some are
- Map study control.
- Accuracy when measuring distances without tools or measuring instruments.
- Exceptional abilities to build spatial models and structures.
Music skills
People with savant syndrome have a great talent for musical composition and for playing instruments. Music is one of the most developed areas they have.
They may excel in the use of a particular instrument, such as guitar or piano, or they may have the ability to know how to play several. They are able to reproduce the music without learning or score, simply by listening to it, even if they have only heard the piece once.
Skills for mathematical calculation
Another skill in which the Savant excel is in mathematics. They have great speed in mental arithmetic and are capable of doing square roots or multiplication immediately. They stand out when calculating dates, that is, they can identify a day of the week of a specific date.
Artistic skills
In this area they have a great ability to draw, paint or make sculptures. They have the ability to bring reality to their works with great fidelity, including a large number of details.
Language
Despite the fact that most people with savant syndrome have difficulties with expressive and social language, there have been cases of high capacities when it comes to learning multiple languages.
Exceptional memorization skills
Some of the people affected with this syndrome have an amazing ability to memorize a large amount of information and data. They can recall numerous data related to historical information, population figures, sports statistics, etc.
This ability can make them experts in many areas of knowledge. However, in most cases, your interests are very restricted.
Savant models
Regarding this syndrome, three types of savant can be distinguished.
Prodigious savant
They are the individuals who stand out in an outstanding and unusual way in all their capacities. One of the most notable features is that they may have high intelligence scores or cognitive disability.
Talented savant
They are those who have great skills in different areas as well as a high degree of intellectual disability.
Savant of minutiae
These refer to cases in which they present very reduced features of savant syndrome. They can have a great visual memory despite having difficulties in establishing social relationships; they are usually specialists in a certain area of knowledge.
As far as savant syndrome is concerned …
In conclusion, it can be said that people who suffer from this syndrome have extraordinary abilities combined with low cognitive abilities, which make them geniuses in certain aspects, although they may not seem so due to their deficiencies.
As you have already been able to know, savant syndrome does not occur very frequently, but its characteristics are striking. Its diagnosis is usually relatively simple due precisely to the peculiarities that characterize it.
