Savant syndrome

Savant syndrome is a rare condition in which someone with significant mental disabilities demonstrates abilities far in excess of average. Skills that savants excel at are generally related to memory. This may include rapid calculation, artistic ability, map making, or musical ability. Males with savant syndrome outnumber females by roughly 6: 1.

About Savant syndrome in brief

Summary Savant syndromeSavant syndrome is a rare condition in which someone with significant mental disabilities demonstrates abilities far in excess of average. Skills that savants excel at are generally related to memory. This may include rapid calculation, artistic ability, map making, or musical ability. Usually, only one exceptional skill is present. Those with the condition generally have a neurodevelopmental disorder such as autism spectrum disorder or have a brain injury. About half of cases are associated with autism, and these individuals may be known as ‘autistic savants’ Savant skills are usually found in one or more of five major areas: art, memory, arithmetic, musical abilities, and spatial skills.

The most common kinds of savants are calendrical savants, who can calculate the day of the week for any given date with speed and accuracy. It is estimated that there are fewer than a hundred savants with extraordinary skills currently living. Males with savant syndrome outnumber females by roughly 6: 1, slightly higher than the sex ratio disparity for autism spectrum disorders.