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Savant Syndrome

Savant syndrome is a rare condition in which someone with significant mental disabilities demonstrates certain abilities far in excess of average. The skills that savants excel at are generally related to memory. This may include rapid calculation, artistic ability, map making, or musical ability. 


As many as 1 in 10 persons with autistic disorder have remarkable abilities to varying extents. These savant abilities are usually linked to having an exceptional memory. That being said, not all persons with mental disabilities are savants, and not all savants suffer from mental disabilities. 

A famous savant is Kim Peek who memorised over 12,000 books including the Bible over his lifetime. Kim could read two pages at once; his left eye read the left page while his right eye read the right page. Consequently, he only took 8 seconds to read and memorise two pages of a book. 

Another famous savant is artist Stephen Wiltshire. At a young age, Stephen was unable to communicate verbally. Instead, he communicated through his drawings. Stephen has an amazing photographic memory which allows him to use his memory to draw landscapes down to the exact detail. In 2014, Stephen drew the Singapore skyline after a 1 hour helicopter ride around the island in Paragon shopping center, leaving Singaporeans in awe. 


While there is no definitive cause of Savant Syndrome, there have been some hypotheses put forward by scientists. One theory is that it is caused by genetics, while another theory suggests that it is due to damage in the left hemisphere of the brain, which causes overcompensation in the right hemisphere and gives rise to these abilities. 


Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2677584/

https://www.aruma.com.au/about-us/blog/5-amazing-people-with-savant-syndrome-the-truth-behind-rain-man/

http://www.agnesian.com/page/savant-syndrome-faqs

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