2. Autistic Savantis an individual with an “unusual gift or an outstanding skill or
knowledge clearly above their general level of ability and above the
population norm”. – Darold A Treffert, M.D.
Approx.10% of people with autism are savants of some degree. Savant also
appears in other developmental disabilities, and those with absolutely no
handicaps. About 50% of persons with savant skills have Autistic Disorder.
SAVANT SKILLS:
‘Splinter skills’ - hobbies, most common.
‘Talented skills’ - specialized on intellectual level.
‘Prodigious skills’ - most intellectually exceptional.
Approximately 100 prodigious savants worldwide.
EXAMPLES: music, art, math, language, memory
FACT: over the past century and currently, many
musical savants are both blind and Autistic.

3. The brain involves two hemispheres: left & right. Between the two is a thick
band of nerve fibers called the corpus callosum. Left hemisphere (left brain)
involves more logical, processing, & interpretation skills. Right brain favors
intuition, memory, creativity..
Through CT and MRI scans done on those with savant syndrome, it is shown
that the right hemisphere is compensating for a deficiency or lack of skill in
the left hemisphere. 1 of 5 senses is given attention in each savant. This will
better determine their special skill. Example: enhanced vision could result in
immaculate memory.

4. Musical
Prodigy

5.  Tony is an autistic savant with great musical
abilities and was diagnosed with autism
and mental retardation. He is also blind.
 He can play 20 different musical
instruments and graduated from the
Berklee College of Music.
 Tony’s blindness occurred as a result of
oxygen therapy that kept him alive as a
premature infant born three months early.

7.  After a CT scan it was found Tony has
“mild cerebral atrophy to the left
hemisphere”. He has a normal amount of
tissue in the right brain and decreased
amount in the left brain.
 Like most savants, the right hemisphere
has to make up for the left hemisphere.
Tony has a prestigious right hemisphere
skill (music) along with remarkably
enhanced habit memory giving him great
musical abilities.

9. MYTH: People with Savant Syndrome have a low IQ
TRUTH: Majority of savants have an IQ between 50 & 70, as high as 114.
IQ does notdetermine Savant Syndrome one way or the other.
Tests are mainly used for academic testing and use a lot of verbal testing. Autism
frequents language deficits. Therefore tests can be low.
“Savant syndrome is a rare but remarkable condition in which people with
developmental disabilities, including autism or other central nervous system
disorders, have some remarkable island of genius that stand in stark contrast to
their overall handicap.” – Darold A. Treffert, M.D.

10.  He suffers from a childhood brain injury.
 Alonzo can not tie his shoes or feed himself.
 Has an IQ of somewhere between 45-50.
 He can replicate a 3D model of almost any
creature after looking at it for a brief section.

12.  After MRI scans, there is not much shown
compared to most head injuries
 There are a few white spots that indicate
where there is no oxygen getting to the brain
 No major abnormalities are visible
 Dr. Reeve’s, a psychologist that did Alonzo’s
first brain scan, believes the head injury
changed something in his motor cortex

13.  It is responsible for the planning, control, and
execution of voluntary movements.
 Damage to this would explain why he can not feed
himself or tie his shoes.
 He is able to take visuals of animals and use his
motor cortex and sculpt these animals.
 Where it might have harmed him in way, it gave him
an amazing ability.

14. • Some savants have more than one special skill.
• Most savants have right – brain activity skills.
• The CT, MRI, and PET studies show damage to
the left hemisphere, which can come from
prenatal, perinatal and postnatal causes.
• The assumed action is that the damage in the
left hemisphere is linked with corresponding
damage to the higher-level cognitive memory
circuitry. Thus, the lower-level procedural
memory (or ‘habit’) compensates for the
damage and loss
• This explains why autistic savants are often
habitually active in right brained skills.