Wisconsin Medical Journal
110 #6
110 #6
Savant Syndrome: What's New?
Access the Archive of Past "What's New?" Items
Update — July 20, 2007
An Extraordinary Art Exhibit
Update — July 20, 2007
The Real 'Rain Man' has a new book
Update — June 13, 2007
Autism Job Placement Service
What a wonderfully useful service—connecting job seekers (persons on the autism spectrum) with job providers (autism friendly employers). Natural Learning Concepts of Dix Hills, New York has begun "connecting people on the autism spectrum with potential jobs and employers nationwide".
There is more information about this needed service on the web site at www.nlconcepts.com. The service can also be contacted by telephone at 800.823.3430.
Thus far there has been an 'incredible' interest by potential employers in using this service and hopefully many successful matches will take place.
Update — April 12, 2007
Beautiful Minds Update
The second hour long program in the three hour documentary "Beautiful Minds" will be broadcast by National Geographic Channel on April 29, 2007 at 2:00 pm Eastern time. This segment is titled "Struck by Genius" and focuses on Creativity. It includes profiles on Alonzo Clemons, Matt Savage and Stephen Wiltshire as examples of creative genius in savant syndrome.
This program was produced by the German-based Colourfield Production Company in Dortmund, Germany. It has been shown in over 20 countries already, and has been nominated for a number of awards, and has already been won several such medals.
A ten-minute promotional trailer for the original film can be accessed here.
Update — April 5, 2007
Cover Art for Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
An art piece—"Stable: by Ping Lian Yeak—was chosen for the cover of the current issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, a publication of the American Medical Association. Some commentary about art and autism is provided by Dr. Treffert. An on-line version of the art work and article can be accessed at http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/161/4/323.
Update — March 30, 2007
Autism and Savant Syndrome in unfamiliar places
It used to be the programs on autism and savant syndrome showed up in documentaries, on PBS or on the usual network TV programs. But, usefully, times have changed and entirely new audiences are being reached.
On March 15, 2007 MTV Network included Jonathan Lerman, along with two other persons with Asperger's disorder, in a four segment program titled True Life:I Have Autism.
On Sunday, April 22 at 8:30 pm Eastern time, the award winning program Nick News with Linda Ellerbee "takes a look at the lives of kids struggling with different levels of autism in 'Private Worlds: Kids and Autism'". Two persons familiar to this web site will be included—Matt Savage and Temple Grandin. The final segment focuses on "how other kids can be a part of the lives and worlds of kids with autism".
It should be a very interesting look at autism and savant syndrome from a different and unique venue.
Update — March 6, 2007
Chinese Translation Edition of Extraordinary People
A Simplified Chinese Edition of Extraordinary People:Understanding Savant Syndrome has been published in mainland China by the Beijing World Publishing Company. The cover illustration is particularly attractive and creative. A Complex Chinese edition of the book will be published by Wu-Nan Book Inc. in Taipei, Taiwan as well.
Savant syndrome cuts across geographic, cultural and language boundaries with remarkable similarity of these extraordinary people in each continent and nation, no matter the place, culture or language. Thus one would expect the number of savants, when recognized, to be at about the same prevalence rate in every part of the world and that seems to be happening. What is striking, thus far, not unexpectedly, is the remarkable uniformity of the cases wherever they occur. That experience mirrors the remarkable uniformity of cases historically as well, whenever they have occurred in the past or present.
Update — February 12, 2007
"Training the talent": Some Specific Exercises
While it has been demonstrated the 'training the talent' in persons with savant syndrome can often result in gains in language, socialization and daily living skills overall, there is a paucity of specific tools or techniques to carry out that strategy successfully. Project 40K provides three specifically designed and tested educational approaches and tools for use with high-functioning autistic savant persons whose interest and skills lie in the numbers or numerical areas. The development of 40K products was based on a series of ever-expanding hands-on as well as written activities, or Exercises, which build on the individual's numerical skills to gently broaden mathematics as well as general academic and social skills. Field experience shows the material to be accepted by the student with these special interests and skills, as well as by teachers and other on the educational and treatment team. Some portions of the exercises have been useful on Specific Language Deficit individuals as well.
The exercises are compatible with California Department of Education curriculum and they are designed to be customizable. They come with various support materials including instructor guides.
Further information about these materials, and their availability, can be obtained by inquiry at project_40K@comcast.net.
Update — February 12, 2007
Autoharp: Another method of 'training the talent'
The mother of a 21 year-old daughter with savant musical skills has been very encouraged by her daughter's progress since being introduced to a modified Autoharp. Along with savant musical skills, the daughter has some problems with mild cerebral palsy, which makes it difficult to play an instrument. Most encouraging is the mother's observations that her daughter "learned to talk because we worked with her through songs, which have a double and predictable structure of music coupled with lyrics".
Encouraged by her daughter's progress, this mother has been modifying Autoharps to make them easier to play and has also developed a color-coding system to aid persons who have difficulty deciphering chord symbols. There are a number of such instruments now being effectively used in some schools and residential homes in the where her daughter attends school.
This mother has set up now, a blog URL at http://xable.com/blogs/autoharp with a goal "to identify individuals with splinter savant skills in music and provide a path for developing their skill." That URL site provides more information and links to illustrations of the modified Autoharps. Through this blog, the mother wants to correspond with other parents, teachers, occupational therapists or other persons interested in this particular, specialized approach to 'training the talent'.
Update — January 30, 2007
An Interesting and Useful New Search Engine
A new search engine—www.searchmash.com—provides access on a single screen to web links, video and blog subsets in answer to search inquiries. By keying in "Kim Peek," for example, there appears a sub-set of web links (including www.savantsyndrome.com) along with over 300 picture images and a number of videos of Kim. One of those videos from Big Science provides the entire "The Real Rain Man" video, some 45 minutes in length. Keying in "Brainman" will bring up information on Daniel Tammet and a link to the entire Brainman video, again some 45 minutes in length as seen on Discovery Channel.
If one keys in Savant Syndrome, another video, about 15 minutes in length, on Kim Peek comes up. This video is in French, but along the way provides a particularly more in depth look at Kim's musical performance ability, along with his earlier reported musical inventory knowledge. This video provides yet another insight into Kim's remarkable abilities and story.
Update — January 10, 2007
New videos on Kim Peek and Leslie Lemke
Two new videos have been added now to Kim Peek's profile on this Web site, and one additional video has been added to the Leslie Lemke profile.
The first of the two new, additional Kim Peek videos is a compilation of English excerpts from a Swedish documentary titled "Verklighetens Rain Man" produced by Anders S. Nilsson in Sweden. It is a 19 minute program that includes a heart-warming and informative glimpse into the daily life of Kim and his father, Fran in Salt Lake City. Dr. Darold Treffert provides his commentary on Kim's remarkable savant memory skills, and Dr. Daniel Christensen provides illustrations and an explanation of some of the neurological findings including CT scans and other imaging findings on Kim Peek. Additionally, Barry Morrow, original screenwriter for the movie Rain Man, provides some interesting insights regarding the inspiration that Kim provided for writing that screenplay, and some behind the scenes background on the making of the movie itself, particularly Kim's interaction with Dustin Hoffman who portrayed Raymond Babbitt as a savant in the award winning film.
The other additional, new Kim Peek video is a 7 minute compilation of previously unseen footage provided by Focus Productions especially for this web site. That footage was taken as a part of filming of the Focus Production's "The Real Rain Man" program seen on Discovery Channel and other television broadcasts in the U.S. and the U.K. Focus Productions is located in Bristol, England.
The new, additional video on Leslie Lemke provides excerpts from a 1987 documentary about him titled "An Island of Genius". It is a 15 minute video which tells about some of the early life of Leslie with his remarkable foster mother May Lemke, and provides some examples of Leslie's astonishing piano ability at that time as seen in a 1986 concert. The entire An Island of Genius video is available from Miracle of Love Ministries as outlined on Leslie Lemke's full profile on this web site.
Update — December 19, 2006
A very busy web site
The year end is a good time to review what has been happening with this web site and interest in savant syndrome in general this past 12 months. The addition of streaming video, thanks to a grant from The Brinson Foundation specifically for that purpose, has led to a massive increase in traffic in terms of pages viewed this past year. In October, 2005, for example there were 40,913 page view requests. In October 2006, that number increased to 244,411 page view requests, or over 7800 requests per day. Those inquires come from around the world, and come from other clinicians, researchers, parents, other caretakers, teachers, therapists, students from grade school to graduate school, and media, both print and broadcast. New persons with savant syndrome have come to attention from around the world as well through contact with the website, and new research findings regarding savant syndrome have also been regularly reported.
Part of the popularity of the streaming video is because savant syndrome is often so much better seen, than described. For that reason the intention is to add even more streaming video in the coming year on some of the previously described savants, as well as those newly coming to attention. Of course research findings, as they surface, will be reported as well.
Update — December 11, 2006
"Beautiful Minds—Expedition ins Gehirn"
A number of persons have inquired about the availability of the three hour documentary "Beautiful Minds—Expedition ins Gehirn", having seen portions of it on this web site and in some other places. It is a remarkable production. There is a DVD available, with both German and English versions, directly from the producers, Colourfield Productions in Dortmund, Germany. One hour of the program is on Memory; a second hour is on Creativity; and the third hour is on differences in the Male:Female brain. Segments of the program feature various savants including Matt Savage, Kim Peek, Stephen Wiltshire, Alonzo Clemons and others.
You can view a ten minute trailer of the production by clicking here.
Copies of the DVD can be obtained directly from Colourfield at mail@colourfield.de
Update — November 16, 2006
Taylor Crowe: My Life With Autism
Taylor Crowe is now in his mid-twenties. He and his father, Dr. David Crowe, have put together two excellent DVD's, one of which follows Taylor's remarkable progress since his late-onset autistic disorder began as a child, and the other is an instructive and moving lecture Taylor gave to the 2006 Texas State Conference on Autism. Both are titled The View from Here: My Life with Autism and the first one was seen at the Texas Autism Conference and the second was recorded as Taylor delivered his excellent lecture to that group.
More information about Taylor can be obtained, and the DVD's purchased from, Taylor's web site at www.taylorcrowe.com.
Taylor's "View from Here" is really a view of autism from within. So many lectures are 'about' autism by others; this lecture is by someone 'with' autism and provides poignant and practical insights and advice for any of us who deal with autistic persons in any capacity. His life story is also an uplifting one from a normally developing child, through a devastating regressive process to improvement and recovery to where Taylor is in his senior year studying character animation at the California Institute of Arts.
I hope his story and lecture will get wide visibility through these DVD's, and in person for those groups fortunate enough to hear him first hand.
Darold A. Treffert, MD
Update — November 1, 2006
Stephen Wiltshire Opens His Own Gallery
Savant artist Stephen Wiltshire has now opened his own gallery in London where he will be resident three days per week. The Stephen Wiltshire Gallery will be located at the Royal Opera Arcade in Pall Mall, London. The gallery was established with the encouragement of his sister, Annette, who, along with Stephen, felt it was time that he have his own gallery where he will be present three days a week doing his drawings, painting and some commissioned work. He enjoys meeeting the public and enjoys displaying his works, and himself at work. A trust has been established to manage the fees and royalties from his work according to an article recently published in The Independent.
A streaming video of Stephen at work following a 45 minute helicopter ride over Rome is available on this site.
Update - October 10, 2006
Greg Blackstock: "I'm famous"
Update - October 2, 2006
Marathons
While this is not about a savant, the parent/child dedication displayed in this video reminds me of the 'marathon' that so many parents of savants, and disabled children in general, run in their lives.
Eighty five times this Dad has pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on his handlebars — all in the same day. This Herculean effort by this Dad is documented by Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated in his "Strongest Dad in the World" article about Dick Hoyt and his son, Rick. Most touching, though, is his son's reaction to this loving effort: "Dad, when we were running it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore."
Update - September 15, 2006
Quantum Leap
Matt Savage, who was featured on the CNN special on Genius on 9/18, has just released his newest CD — Quantum Leap — for worldwide distribution. Matt, who Dave Brubeck refers to as the "Mozart of jazz," composed all the pieces on the new CD, which features The Matt Savage Trio. You can read a review of Quantum Leap at www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ge7zeflk5gfj~T00.
Matt also continues his cross country tours. He will open for Wynton Marsalis in a solo performance in Philadelphia in October and then the Matt Savage Trio will have a trip to Los Angeles at the Jazz Bakery later that month.
There is an excellent article about Matt here on seacoastonline.com that gives some interesting details about his musical genius and other skills (calendar calculating, math and roller coasters). Also, there is a link on the site to listen to several pieces from his new album.
Update - September 15, 2006 (item originally posted September 11)
A CNN program on Genius and Savants
On Sunday, September 17 at 10 p.m. EST CNN is scheduled to broadcast a program titled GENIUS. Portions of that program will examine savant syndrome as one kind of 'genius', including some brief segments with Matt Savage, George Widener, Stephen Wiltshire and Orlando Serrell, along with some commentary by Dr. Treffert. A story titled Savants: Charting 'islands of genius' has already been posted on the CNN Web site. That story contains links to several video clips from the GENIUS program. It can be accessed at www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/09/06/savant.genius/index.html.
Update - September 12, 2006
In addition to these hour long documentaries, Colourfield Productions in Germany included considerable footage of Kim Peek in its Beautiful Minds three hour documentary on memory, creativity and the male:female brain. That program is scheduled to be seen on the National Geographic Channel in the U.S. and has aired already in other countries including Ireland and Australia.
Kim Peek and Daniel Tammet, two memory giants, are filmed together in an interesting sequence in Brainman, the story of Daniel Tammet, again a Focus Productions hour-long documentary. Click here to view a short segment from Brainman.
Some brief clips of Kim from Focus Productions and Colourfield are now in streaming video on this site. More will be added as they become available.
Update - September 1, 2006
Update - September 1, 2006
"J-Mac" and the Indianapolis Colts
Jason McElwain has been a tremendous ambassador for bringing autistic disorder to greater public attention in a very inspirational and touching way. A movie is in the works, he met the President and has had numerous media appearances, all of them upbeat and positive. But in addition, he will be able to carry on his equipment manager duties now as a member of the equipment staff of the Indianapolis Colts. That story can be accessed here.
The original clip on Jason's spectacular three point shooting can be found on the Internet in many formats by searching for "Jason McElwain video". It is 240 seconds of wonder, and hope.
[Original Jason McElwain item from February 23, 2006]
Three Pointers, Free Throws and Zoning: The Athletic Savant
I have said all along that on this journey of discovery about savants I've learned as much about matters of the heart as I have about circuits in the brain. Recently across the wires and on video clips (here or search the Web for "autistic basketball player") came an amazing and dramatic story about a high-functioning autistic lad in Rochester, New York. You may have seen it. It touched the heart.
It was the last game of the season, and the last game for this young fellow as one of the 'managers' of the basketball team. The coach allowed him to suit up and with four minutes left in the game, and with four minutes left in the last season for this senior, he put him into the game. His teammates, who loved him so, passed him the ball. The first shot was an air ball. But then, like any athlete 'in the zone,' he made six straight three point shots in less than 4 minutes. The crowd went wild, even storming the floor as the buzzer sounded. His teammates carried him off on their shoulders.
You can't make movies as powerful and deeply moving as that little clip.
It also reminded me of one of the first savants I met over 40 years ago. He was severely autistic with almost no language at all. But could he make free throws! Since with free throws there is a fixed distance between the free throw line and the basket each time, conceivably if you put your feet in exactly the same place, and hold the ball in exactly the same way, and used exactly the same motion each time, since there is a fixed trajectory, the ball should go through the basket each and every time. And for this little guy it did. And, I submit, the same principle applies to shooting three pointers.
There are some reports of athletic 'savants' through the years, usually with exceptional balance or spatial skills, but they are rare in the already rare condition of savant syndrome. In these reports though exactly-the-same repetitive motions, coupled with sensitive spatial skills, are usually at the core of the athletic ability.
Any of who engage in sports, every now and then, 'zone out.' There are some days in basketball when nothing seems to go in the basket, and other days when anything you toss up goes through — "nothing but net." Fellow players might term it "unconscious." Some days no putts go in. On other days everything drops in the cup. We call that 'zoning.'.Some well known athletes 'zone' often and we can see it when it happens. They know it and we know it.
As pointed out elsewhere on this site, mathematical savants use the same unconscious, or more accurately, pre-conscious circuitry that math geniuses use. Both 'zone out', so to speak, mathematically, using such unconscious, or pre-conscious, circuitry. Could it be that when the professional player — or any of us — 'zone out' athletically, we are temporarily using certain pre-conscious circuitry that is unconsciously obsessive and repetitive, undistracted by emotion or deliberate, conscious 'trying' with its correction, then over correction, then frustration? Could it be that at those times when we 'zone' athletically, we are temporarily tapping into the more dormant and less accessible circuitry that we speak about elsewhere on this site? Is that the temporary contact with some little "Rain Man" that resides, perhaps, within us all? I think that might be the case.
But however one explains the magical four minutes in this young man's life — whatever that explanation — the moments were truly magical and fortunately were captured on camera to touch, and inspire, us all.
Update - August 10, 2006
Web Trailer for Colourfield Savant Documentary
Click on < a href="http://www.colourfield.de/expedition/-dsl.html" target="_blank">this link to open a QuickTime trailer from the Expedition ins Gehirn (Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into the Brain) documentary produced by Colourfield Productions of Dortmund, Germany. Note that this link will open in a new window and that it is a very large QuickTime video file.
Update - July 25, 2006
Update - July 7, 2006
Rain Girl: Henriett Seth F.
In 1995 she began attending Cistercitan High School where she specialized in art, where her memory was a real asset to her art ability. Henriett won the Geza Gardonyi Prize at the age of 18 after being a top student for four years, and also because of a her work being shown at the House of Arts gallery (Muveszetek Haza) between the ages of 16 and 18.
Henriett was a student at Eszterhazy Karoly College of Psychology and Sociology but her communication and her behavior problems were such that in 2002 she was "pensioned with a diagnosis of high functioning with autism, immunthrombocytopenia, hyperthyroidism and endometreosis".
Update - June 27, 2006
Article on Doctor Treffert and this Web site
Madison, Wisconsin's Capitol Times newspaper has published an article about Doctor Treffert titled "Savant syndrome is doc's lifetime study." The article details how Doctor Treffert came to be interested in autistic savants and some of the things he's learned and found important in his decades of study. The article also mentions the growing popularity of this Web site, including the fact that the number of page requests per month has more than tripled in the past year.
Update - June 20, 2006
Update - June 19, 2006
60 Minutes Replays Rex
An expanded re-airing of the 60 Minutes program on Rex Lewis-Clack, a musical savant, is scheduled for broadcast on Sunday, June 24.
The orignial posting regarding Rex and 60 Minutes:
Rex, Derek and 60 Minutes
The 60 Minutes program on musical savants originally broadcast in October, 2003 was re-broadcast on August 1, 2004. The program focused on Rex, an 8 year old musical savant in California, and also Derek, in London, whose story is told in more detail elsewhere on this site. Both demonstrate the remarkable triad of visual loss, mental disability and musical genius that re-occurs with such striking regularity throughout the past 130 years of accounts of savant syndrome. It presents a rare triad in the already rare condition of savant syndrome. The program also focuses on methods of using music as the "conduit toward normalization" that savant skills often present, as embodied in programs in the savant academy here in the United States, and in the Soundscape program in London.
In December, 2000, David Mehnert, himself a talented Los Angeles-based amateur musician, began working with a then five-year-old boy, Rex, who demonstrates this triad most impressively. The source of Rex's visual loss is congenital optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH), one form of which is also sometimes referred to as septo-optic dysplasia. This is a cause of visual loss different from the retinopathy of prematurity (retrolental fibroplasia) so often reported in musical savants. Mr. Mehnert's work with Rex had him nominated for the 2003 Volvo for Life Awards and landed him in the top ten finalists. The award attracted the attention of 60 Minutes.
Rex is now eight years old. While his first conversations were through singing and sing-song speech, Rex has now acquired basic conversational abilities. While his musical memory is impressive and he has perfect pitch, he also improvises well on his own. Mr. Mehnert emphasizes that Rex benefited from multiple musical influences, including lessons from another piano teacher, Lynn Marzulli, and above all from the patient and tireless commitment and encouragement of his mother.
A more detailed account of this newest musical savant, and his teacher, can be found in an article in The Johnson County Sun. As a result of his work with Rex and several other very gifted musical savants, David Mehnert has established the Savant Academy in Malibu, California. The Savant Academy supports the education of people with savant syndrome including musical, linguistic, mathematical and artistic savants and will provide information about techniques proven to be effective in teaching persons with savant syndrome. It was also set up to encourage research into, and awarness of, savant syndrome. That Web site can be accessed at www.savantacademy.org.
Note that an article on the topic of "Musical Genius, Blindness and Mental Handicap" can be found here on this Web site.
Update - June 9, 2006
New Video Postings
A video excerpt from the Expedition ins Gehirn (Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into the Brain) documentary is now posted under the Matt Savage profile. It provides a superb look at a remarkable young man.
An excerpt from the Brainman documentary featuring a very interesting meeting between memory giants Kim Peek and Daniel Tammet is posted under their respective profiles.
Update - June 9, 2006
Update - May 2006
Discovery Channel Canada Savant Video — Featuring Alonzo Clemons
A terrific story on savant syndrome featuring the talents of Alonzo Clemons is now available on the Discovery Channel Canada Web site (opens in a new window). The segment is particularly well done as a succinct summary of savant syndrome research and where we are heading. It uses Alonzo Clemons as an example, who you can read more about here on this site.
Update - April 19, 2006
Site Updates — Video and Kim Peek Update
There are several major updates to this site, including an update on Kim Peek, "The Real Rain Man" titled "Kim Peek's Expanding Abilities and European Travels."
We have also begun the process of adding video clips to the site under the following profiles:
Daniel Tammet: Video excerpt from the Brainman documentary
Matt Savage: Video of Matt and his Trio performing Matt's original song, Infected with Hemiola
Leslie Lemke: Concert videos from 1986 and 2003
Kim Peek: Video excerpt from Expedition ins Gehirn (Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into the Brain)
Stephen Wiltshire: Video excerpt from Expedition ins Gehirn (Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into the Brain)
Alonzo Clemons: Video excerpt from Expedition ins Gehirn (Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into the Brain)
Gilles Tréhin: Video excerpt from Expedition ins Gehirn (Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into the Brain)
Richard Wawro: Video excerpt from With Eyes Wide Open
The videos give insight into these remarkable individuals that words simply cannot convey. Each video is three to five minutes in length and available in both high and low resolution. More videos will be added in the future.
Update - March 8, 2006
The documentary consists of three one-hour segments: (1) "Memory Masters" (human memory); (2)"The Einstein Effect" (creativity); and (3) "A Little Matter of Gender" (the male/female brain). It was filmed on locations in Germany, France, USA, Australia, Italy, Ireland and the U.K. in High Definition (HDTV 720p). The program includes experts from around the world demonstrating their research projects and findings in each of these three areas, in many instances using striking 3D animations for illustration. While the program explores memory, creativity and the male/female brain topics more broadly, research on savant syndrome itself is woven throughout the three programs with footage on many savants profiled on this site including Kim Peek, Matt Savage, Stephen Wiltshire, Howard Potter, Gilles Trehin and Christopher Taylor. Temple Grandin is also featured prominently in several segments.
The concept of "genius," in contra-distinction to "savant" is explored on the program featuring persons such math-genius, and German Calculating Champion, Rudiger Gamm who can raise 56 to the power of 33 in seconds and recall over 160 decimal digits when dividing 62 by 167, for example. Studies including other geniuses past and present are included as well. In these research findings, some of the newest imaging techniques such as functional MRI, and fiber tracking, are displayed with striking 3D graphics.
Scientific Consultants were Prof. Gerhard Roth, University of Bremen, Germany, and Dr. Darold Treffert, Wisconsin Medical Society, U.S.A.
In addition to broadcasts in the countries above, plans are being made for distribution of a DVD version of the program in Europe and the United States. The film was written and produced by Petra Hofer and Freddie Rockenhaus of Colourfield Productions, Dortmund, Germany.
Additional information about the film, including a 10-minute trailer which can be viewed on-line, is located at www.colourfield.de/expedition/index.html.
Update - March 8, 2006
Extraordinary People: Understanding Savant Syndrome — A revised and expanded edition (February, 2006)
Update - February 23, 2006
The Case of the "Sudden" Savant
Savant syndrome, whether associated with autistic disorder or other developmental disability, most often is present from birth and surfaces during early childhood. However recently more instances of "acquired" savant syndrome have been reported in which savant-like abilities emerge, sometimes at a prodigious level, following CNS injury or disease in later childhood or even adult life in previously non-disabled persons. I recently received an e-mail that describes what might be called the "Sudden" savant-an otherwise normal person who suddenly and unexpectedly acquires savant-like abilities. I share this "eureka" experience in detail in the articles section to see if this report triggers similar instances.
Update - February 22, 2006
Update - February 7, 2006
Optic Nerve Hypoplasia: A Helpful Resource
As pointed out elsewhere on this site, Optic Nerve Hypoplasia (ONH) is a leading cause of visual impairment and blindness in children, and seems to be increasing in frequency. Some of these children and adults are musically gifted, sometimes at a prodigous level, as a part of the visual impairment/musical genius/mental disability triad so conspicuously present throughout the history of savant syndrome.
There is a new resource for families and professionals regarding ONH to provide "in depth information, support, consultation and advocacy for children and youth with OHN, their families and professionals who work with them." The resource is ONH Consulting, which maintains a Web site at www.onhconsulting.com. ONH Consulting was created by Christopher Sabine, a master's degree Social 'worker who himself has ONH. The Web site provides a great deal of useful information about ONH, and provides links to many relevant organizations about the condition and resources for accessing available services.
Update - January 25, 2006
Brainman & The Real Rainman
The Focus Production television program "Brainman/The Boy with the Incredible Brain" — the story of Daniel Tammet — was named "The Best Network Feature of the Year" by the Royal Television Society of the U.K. in December, 2005. When aired on Five TV in England this program obtained the highest ever viewing figures for a factual documentary. The program has aired a number of times in the United States on the Discovery Channel, as well, and is also available now on DVD directly from Focus Productions.
Focus Productions has two more 'extraordinary people' programs in production. "The Real Rainman" — the Kim Peek story — should air sometime this Spring. A program titled "The Piano Player", about several musical savants, is also in production currently. Both these programs should air on Discovery Channel as well after release in the U.K.
The DVD "Brainman" is still available for sale to persons in the United States at a cost of $25 U.S. Dollars plus $5 U.S. Dollars for postage and handling. Inquiries for purchase should be directed to Martin Weitz, producer of the film at Focus Productions, Bristol, England. Mr. Weitz can be reached by e-mail at martinweitz@focusproductions.co.uk.
Update - January 4, 2006
An Overview Article
New to this site is an overview, synopsis article on savant syndrome by Dr. Treffert. The article abstract is listed in the left side menu of the Web site now and can also be read by clicking <here. The abstract links to either a Web page or Adobe Acrobat version of the full article. In addition to providing a concise summary of savant syndrome — past, present, future — the article also provides a contemporary bibliography. As new research findings and other advances surface, they will be incorporated into the overview article, and the bibliography will be likewise expanded.
Update - January 4, 2006
Voyage into the Brain — A Preview
Colourfield Productions, based in Germany, has recently completed three, one hour programs titled "Voyage into the Brain." The programs will explore memory, creativity and other topics using the perspective of savant syndrome as an important aspect of each topic. The programs will be aired in Germany, France and other European countries initially, with broadcast in the United States and other countries as well over time. A 10-minute introductory trailer is available for viewing at http://213.198.73.194/brain/brain.mov (large file with long download time). As broadcast schedules for the entire programs are announced, there will be an attempt to post those on this site.
Update - December 22, 2005
More About Blind Tom
Elsewhere on this site there is information about Thomas Wiggins, more often referred to as Blind Tom. A Web site at www.twainquotes.com/archangels.html provides additional background information. But of special interest is that on that site one can listen to several of Blind Tom's original compositions directly. The one song — "Battle of Manassas" — is a Blind Tom 'classic' with very intricate, and effective passages depicting that battle. The other pieces are more soothing, but equally as remarkable.
Update - December 12, 2005
The Observer article on Kim Peek
Robin McKie, science editor at The Observer, has written an interesting article on Kim Peek and Savant Syndrome, inspired by the December 2005 Scientific American feature article.
Update - November 22, 2005
This article is a companion or follow-up article to the June 2002 Scientific American "Islands of Genius" article, which has been widely distributed.
Update - October 18, 2005
Rex and a Return to 60 Minutes
The progress of Rex Lewis-Clack, a musical savant now age 10, will be documented in a 60 Minute follow-up piece on him scheduled for broadcast on Sunday, October 23.
The orignial posting regarding Rex and 60 Minutes:
Rex, Derek and 60 Minutes
The 60 Minutes program on musical savants originally broadcast in October, 2003 was re-broadcast on August 1, 2004. The program focused on Rex, an 8 year old musical savant in California, and also Derek, in London, whose story is told in more detail elsewhere on this site. Both demonstrate the remarkable triad of visual loss, mental disability and musical genius that re-occurs with such striking regularity throughout the past 130 years of accounts of savant syndrome. It presents a rare triad in the already rare condition of savant syndrome. The program also focuses on methods of using music as the "conduit toward normalization" that savant skills often present, as embodied in programs in the savant academy here in the United States, and in the Soundscape program in London.
In December, 2000, David Mehnert, himself a talented Los Angeles-based amateur musician, began working with a then five-year-old boy, Rex, who demonstrates this triad most impressively. The source of Rex's visual loss is congenital optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH), one form of which is also sometimes referred to as septo-optic dysplasia. This is a cause of visual loss different from the retinopathy of prematurity (retrolental fibroplasia) so often reported in musical savants. Mr. Mehnert's work with Rex had him nominated for the 2003 Volvo for Life Awards and landed him in the top ten finalists. The award attracted the attention of 60 Minutes.
Rex is now eight years old. While his first conversations were through singing and sing-song speech, Rex has now acquired basic conversational abilities. While his musical memory is impressive and he has perfect pitch, he also improvises well on his own. Mr. Mehnert emphasizes that Rex benefited from multiple musical influences, including lessons from another piano teacher, Lynn Marzulli, and above all from the patient and tireless commitment and encouragement of his mother.
A more detailed account of this newest musical savant, and his teacher, can be found in an article in The Johnson County Sun. As a result of his work with Rex and several other very gifted musical savants, David Mehnert has established the Savant Academy in Malibu, California. The Savant Academy supports the education of people with savant syndrome including musical, linguistic, mathematical and artistic savants and will provide information about techniques proven to be effective in teaching persons with savant syndrome. It was also set up to encourage research into, and awarness of, savant syndrome. That Web site can be accessed at www.savantacademy.org.
Note that an article on the topic of "Musical Genius, Blindness and Mental Handicap" can be found here on this Web site.
Update - September 30, 2005
Dr. Treffert first met Tony in 1989 and has followed him since that time. This new book about Tony contains a chapter — "Islands of Genius: The Mystery of Savant Syndrome" — that describes the circumstances of that first meeting, surrounding Tony's admission to Berkley. It also summarizes present-day information about musical savants including where Tony fits into that remarkable phenomenon, particularly the intriguing triad of visual impairment, mental disability and musical genius that re-occurs so rarely, but conspicuously, in savant syndrome through the past 100+ years.
Overall the book demonstrates dramatically what can happen with a focus on a-bility rather than dis-ability on the part of parents, teachers and others. It also provides a roadmap of love, and advocacy, for parents of children with disabilities through Janice DeBlois's example. About the book Dr. Treffert states: "in my search to better understand savant syndrome, it is from persons like Tony and his mom that I've learned as much about matters of the heart as I have about the workings of the mind." This book is about both.
Update - August 4, 2005
Incidence, Prevalence and Origin of Autistic Disorder
Discussions and observations continue about the incidence, prevalence and origin of autistic disorder. It was Dr. J. Langdon Down who first described savant syndrome when he presented ten cases of this remarkable phenomenon that he had seen in his 30 years of clinical practice. He presented those cases as part of the Lettsomian Lectures to Medical Society in London in 1887. It was during those lectures he also shared his observations about what has come to be known as Down's Syndrome. Interestingly, in those same lectures, Dr. Down singled out a group of patients that did not fit the usual patterns of mental retardation, a group he called "Developmental" in origin. This posting on Science Daily addresses those rather astute observations. There is also a more detailed posting about those observations elsewhere on this site.
Update - July 13, 2005
Musical Hallucinations: A built-in IPod?
There have been a number of cases in the past where persons with temporal lobe epilepsy, or brain lesions from infection (encephalitis or Lyme disease), stroke or tumor have "musical hallucinations" as a part of those disorders. One report describes a 57-year-old patient with a dorsal pons abscess and summarizes 10 other such cases where music ranged from French chansons, to Mozart to Glenn Miller. Such a phenomenon has also been reported as a form of tinnitus. These circumstances are separate from musical hallucinations that can be present in certain forms of major mental illness in that these 'hallucinations' occur in the absence of such major mental illness. They also are different from the 'song stuck in the head' that most normal persons experience from time to time. These "hallucinations" are intrusive, vivid and unstoppable, and, like a continuing neuropathy (or tinnitus) in some persons, can be quite intractable to treatment.
A 2004 article in the Sunday Telegraph Magazine describes this "I can't get it out my head" phenomenon in some detail and outlines some of the theories and research underway at that time to better explain the phenomenon, and link it to 'normal' processing of music.
A 2005 New York Times article expands on that topic with a "Neuron Network Goes Awry, and Brain Becomes and IPod" headline. That article then describes some of the work that Dr. Victor Aziz, a psychiatrist in Wales, and colleagues have been doing with some 30 cases seen over the past 15 years in South Wales. In one-third of the cases these persons were deaf or hard of hearing and the phenomenon seemed to accompany the hearing loss. The average age of the sample was 78 years old. The article also describes some of the recent PET studies and fMRI studies on these persons to better understand this process, and better understand musical processing in the brain overall.
What does this have to do with savant syndrome? Three things. First, a report in December, 2000 from an article in Neurology, a journal of the American Academy of Neurology, found that two patients who developed fronto-temporal dementia also developed something else that was new: an appreciation for music they previously disliked. (link to related news release) One 68-year-old patient began to listen at full volume to a popular Italian pop band, in preference to his former love of classical music. He had formerly described the pop music as "mere noise." Another 73-year-old patient developed an interest in music "where she had barely tolerated easy-listening tunes before, and began sharing her 11-year-old granddaughter's interest in pop music." This new 'change' in musical tastes is very similar to the development of new musical skills in Miller's FTD patients (acquired savants) reported further down on this page who had demonstrated left anterior temporal lobe dysfunction from the FTD process.
Second, Dr. Geovanni Frisoni, who reported these cases gave one interesting, and pertinent, possible explanation for this phenomenon. He speculated that the change in musical tastes could be linked to a change in one's attitude toward novelty: "To people over age 60, pop music is considered novel. Previous studies have suggested that novelty is managed by the brain's right frontal lobe, and a predominance of the right over the left frontal lobe might lead to novelty seeking. These speculations fit with much of the left brain/right brain specialization described throughout this site with respect to savant syndrome. (link to related news release)
Third, throughout this site also is speculation about musical, math and language 'modules' in the brain, and their role in producing savant syndrome in some persons. The recent New York Times article indicates that the work by Dr. Aziz and colleagues "support recent work by neuroscientists indicating our brains use special networks of neurons to perceive music." After initial processing of signals in the primary auditory cortex, those sounds are then passed as signals "to other regions, which can recognize more complex features of music, like rhythm, key changes and melody." PET studies are now underway to see how brain activity during these 'hallucinations' differs from, or resembles, brain activity during 'normal' musical listening. According to some studies by Dr. Tim Griffiths, a neurologist at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne in England, the main difference is that musical hallucinations do not activate the primary auditory cortext but rather use "only the parts of the brain that are responsible for turning simple sounds into complex music." On the surface, at least, this resembles some of the early processing, or unconscious processing, Dr. Birbaumer reports in math 'experts', and savants, as described elsewhere on this site. Dr. Diana Deutsch at the University of California, San Diego is planning fMRI studies on persons who are not deaf, yet have musical hallucinations, to supplement these PET studies.
Update - June 23, 2005
In 2004 Temple released a very specialized but practical book on vocational guidance and placement in the work world for persons with autism spectrum disorders: Developing Talents: Careers for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism. It was written in conjunction with Kate Duffy, a specialist in career planning. As Tony Attwood says in the foreword to that book: "Temple Grandin is a pioneer in terms of her ability to achieve highly successful employment, capitalizing on the very qualities associated with autism spectrum disorders. This book is somewhat like Temple herself: practical, knowledgeable and positive." Developing Talents is great roadmap for persons with Asperger's or autistic disorder for navigating in the work world as well as for family, teachers or employers to help in that important endeavor and placement. It is a very useful "how-to" manual in an area that generally lacks such direct, practical advice.
In her lecture Temple emphasized over and over again the importance of "training the talent," a phrase found frequently on this Web site as well. She provided many useful "for instances" from her own life with which the audience could easily resonate from their own experiences with autistic persons in their families or professional practices. From those "for instances" come many practical ideas for application in the home, clinic or workplace.
There were a number of other useful take-home messages in Temple Grandin's lecture as well that can only be briefly mentioned here. One was that for a field somewhat polarized these days between conventional and alternative therapies, her observations are that both are useful and rather than working at cross-purposes both should work more closely, and respectfully, together. A second message was that Autistic Spectrum Disorder represents a number of different conditions with differing causes. Therefore it is not unexpected that certain therapies work for some persons, and not for others. One size, or approach, clearly does not fit all and a variety of therapies will probably be required over the entire spectrum of these disorders. Finally, medications can be useful in some persons with autistic spectrum disorders directed at certain target symptoms, and often very low doses of these medications, rather than more typical doses, are most effective.
Overall the lecture was a very balanced approach toward better understanding and treating persons with autistic spectrum disorders. The lecture was enthusiastically and appreciatively received by the audience. "Training the talent" as a successful intervention strategy was not only described by Temple Grandin, but it is convincingly demonstrated in her own successful "emergence."
Update - May 5, 2005
Kodi Lee and KBS
Update
Ms. Rancer's music therapy practice consists almost entirely of persons with special needs, many of them with autism, and many with perfect pitch. Teaching approaches to persons with perfect pitch require unique considerations and techniques, and this very practical booklet describes those in detail.
The booklet is titled Perfect Pitch & Relative Pitch / How to identify and test for the phenomena: A guide for music teachers, music therapists and parents. It is available from Ms. Rancer through her Web site at www.susanrancer.com. Her site gives further practical advice for teachers, therapists and parents based on her many years of experience with special needs students, provides some case examples, and furnishes links to other sources of such information.
There is more information about perfect pitch, and useful teaching approaches, in a separate posting in the articles section of this Web site and on the Savant Academy Web site at www.savantacademy.org.
Update
A Savant Documentary from Taiwan
More savants continue to come to attention from around the world through World Wide Web connections. Three savants are described in a new documentary from the National Changhua University of Education in Taiwan. One is a musician, also visually impaired, with musical skills "close to professional standard" on piano with additional violin, flute and drum skills as well. A second has calendar calculating ability, exceptional memory and a 'peculiar interest in the sounds of passing trains, and is able to tell each train's number of cars just listening.' A third is a woman who was left blind, mute and paralyzed by carbon monoxide poisoning but "later taught her will by swaying her head ... learned Morse code and a similar code in Chinese to communicate with the outside world." Using this system of communication she has created more than 200 poems, some of which have been published.
The documentary was financed by the National Science Council in Taiwan. The project is described in summary fashion at this link.
It is interesting, but not unexpected, that new cases, no matter which area of the world they come from, continue to fall within the same general repertoire of skills such as music, art, or calendar calculating, always combined with exceptional memory. Likewise the triad of musical genius, developmental disability and visual impairment continues to be reported in new cases coming to attention such as the one case in this documentary.
Update
Brainman—An Explanation and a Documentary
Further down in this What's New section there is information about Daniel Tammet and his setting a European record for the computation of Pi (some 22,500 digits). Daniel's remarkable mathematical skills and visual imagery abilities occurred after an episode of childhood epilepsy. What is especially interesting about Daniel is his ability to describe how he carries out his extraordinary skills in his mind, which provides a rare and exceptional insight into savant abilities. He also speaks seven languages and is now devising his own language.
There was an excellent article about Daniel in Guardian Unlimited on February 12, 2005. Also, a London production company has done a documentary on Daniel titled Brainman. It was broadcast on February 24 and February 25, 2005 on the Discovery Science Channels.
Daniel was a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman, which aired on April 27, 2005.
Update
George Widener, a Multiply Gifted Savant
George Widener is a multiply gifted savant, with skills in the domains of calendar calculating, art and memory. Born in 1962, he was eventually correctly identified as having Asperger's syndrome in his thirties, as is sometimes the case with higher-functioning persons.
George maintains his own Web site at www.savantartist.com.
Progress has been made in George's life by emphasizing his strengths rather than trying to 'correct' his weaknesses. All of his life George has made various drawings and has had numbers in his head so this is what he focuses on today. He is a lighting calculator with a seemingly unlimited range. He uses this skill to tell people how many days, minutes and sometimes seconds old they will be on their next birthday. He also has instant recall of thousands of historical facts and U. S. Census figures.
George's talented draughtmanship provided a wide range of technical abilities advancing from literal memory works to original, expressive creations as can be seen on his Web site. His Web site details his unique ability to blend calendar dates with magic squares, creating what he calls a "Magic Time" square, and what he calls magic calendar portraits of some famous persons combining that persons life facts and dates. The background of this original talent and art are more fully explained, and illustrated, on his Web site.
Additional Information on Ping Lian — "A Stroke of Genius"
One of the objectives of this savant Web site is to learn about persons with savant syndrome in other parts of the world, including all of Asia, through use of the World Wide Web. One such person — Ping Lian of Malaysia — came to our attention in just that way and his story has been posted in the profiles section.
Two recent newspaper articles about him and savant syndrome were recently published in his country and can be accessed at:
http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2005/2/10062445.html
http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2005/2/10062425.html
Those articles provide more background about Ping Lian, his remarkable art, and his also remarkable family.
Matt Savage Update
Matt Savage continues to astound audiences here and abroad. He performed for the Annual Meeting of the Million Dollar Round Table and there is a one-song video clip on Matt's Web site at www.savagerecords.com. There are also many photos from that performance posted on Matt's site.
In May, Matt's first commissioned full jazz band piece, "Shaker Swing," will be performed in Shaker Heights, Ohio. It was written for a 19-piece jazz band, although, according to his mother "Matt added a 20th instrument (a zither part) as a joke. Don't worry though, he didn't put the zither part in the real conductor's score."
Matt has upcoming concerts in Florida, Curacao, Massachusetts, Kansas City and Birdland in New York City.
By the way, Matt is now 12 years old.
Ping Lean's Web site, which tells more of his background and provides a gallery of his work, can be accessed at http://www.pinglian.com.
More evidence of right hemisphere preference/compensation in autistic persons
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and California State University report in the February issue of Neuroimaging that when given working memory tasks, fMRI imaging studies show that although there was comparable performance between normal controls and high functioning autistic individuals, the control group showed more activation in the left than the right parietal regions, and tended to use verbal codes to perform the task, while high-functioning autistic persons showed more right lateralized activation in the prefrontal and parietal regions. It was felt by the researchers that the results suggested that the autistic individuals tended to use visual codes rather than verbal codes. The lead researcher on the project was H. Koshino with the Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging at Carnegie Mellon.
Other studies have shown a right hemisphere preference/activity in autistic persons compared to control subject on imaging studies. This adds to the body of evidence for left hemisphere dysfunction in autistic persons. Approximately one in ten persons with autistic disorder have savant abilities at some level compared to other developmental or other CNS disorders, and, as pointed out in other studies and findings, savant syndrome tends to be associated with this same left hemisphere dysfunction/right hemisphere preference/compensation in many instances.
Full article reference: Koshino, H, Carpenter, PA, Minshew NJ et al "Functional connectivity in an MRI Memory Task in High-Functioning Autism. Neuroimage. 2005 Feb 1;24(3): 810-21 Epub 2004 Nov 24.
TMS, Neurological Disorders and Savant Syndrome
Transmagnetic Cranial Stimulation (TMS), sometimes referred to as rTMS, is an accepted research and treatment tool in certain CNS disorders. TMS (referred to in several other postings on this Web site) has been used by some researchers to temporarily disable portions of the left hemisphere in normal volunteer subjects to see if savant-like abilities surface, presumably from still intact right hemisphere activity. Such studies are underway in Australia.
A team at the University of London has been exploring an adapted version of TMS as a possible treatment for Parkinson's disease or stroke patients "to help speed their recovery" by stimulating the damaged areas. In a news item describing this effort there is an interesting observation on the part of the research team that interfaces with some of the speculation about rTMS and its possible role in better understanding savant syndrome. Instead of stimulating the damaged area, the authors state "Alternatively, it may be that, in some patients, the 'healthy' side of the brain interferes with recovery by the damaged side, so that another approach would be to reduce its activity and stop it from competing for control." This is stating somewhat differently what some other researchers call the "tyranny of the left hemisphere" in trying to better understand cerebral dominance and its role in the production of savant syndrome.
While no over-arching theory can explain all cases of savant syndrome, increasingly evidence supports left hemisphere dysfunction with right brain compensation as an important dynamic in many cases. But it may be that rather than right brain 'compensation' as we usually think of that process, the 'compensation' is in part rather a lessening of left hemisphere dominance typically operative in all of us. If that is the case, then right brain skills, characteristically those in savant syndrome, might be expected to surface more rapidly than a longer compensatory process might require.
In any case, it is interesting to see this observation rising from studies and observations entirely independent from savant syndrome research, yet be consistent with some speculation about the savant syndrome process and causation.
The Incidence and Prevalence of Autism
Debate continues as to whether the reported increase in the incidence (and prevalence) of autism is due to an actual increase in the number of cases, or is instead manifestation of increased awareness, changes in diagnostic criteria and the availability of services leading to identification of previously unrecognized autistic disorder cases. A study from the Mayo Clinic published in the January issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine addresses that question.
Dr. William Barbaresi, a Mayo Clinic Developmental Pediatrician and his co-workers set out to determine the incidence of autism among children in Olmstead County, Minnesota. That county, through the Rochester Epidemiology Project, has all inpatient and outpatient diagnoses indexed for computer retrieval. In 1980-83 the incidence of research-based DSM-IV diagnoses of autistic disorder was 5.5 per 100,000 children. By 1995-97 the incidence using those same strict criteria was 44.9 per 100,000, a four-fold increase. While such an increase did occur, the authors note that was after the "introduction of broader, more precise diagnostic criteria, increased availability of services, and increased awareness of autism." They conclude "Although it is possible that unidentified environmental factors have contributed to an increase in autism, the timing of the increase suggests that it may be due to improved awareness, changes in diagnostic criteria and availability of services, leading to identification of previously unrecognized young children with autism.
This study focused on incidence—rate of new cases over a period of time. Generally however studies report prevalence—rate of all cases in a specific population at any one time. In this study the prevalence of autistic disorder would be 29.0 cases per 10,000 children based on 1997 data. Other Minnesota studies showed an increase in prevalence from 3 per 10,000 in 1991-92 to 52 per 10,000 in 1991-92, however this figure was based on children receiving special education services without ascertaining the prevalence of autistic disorder among all children in the state.
Whether incidence or prevalence, however, both appeared to have escalated between 1976 and 1997. This particular study focused primarily on incidence. The Journal reference for the full article is Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005 Jan; 159(1):37-44.
The research is described as well in a Medical News Today article. That article quotes Dr. Barbaresi noting that "this study is the first to measure the incidence — the occurrence of new cases — by applying consistent, contemporary criteria for autism to a specific population over a long period of time." A contributing factor to the increased incidence was more precise diagnosis introduced in 1987. Prior to that time, according to the Medical News Report, "children with autism may have been given less precise diagnoses such as 'developmental delay' or 'mental retardation' and children with milder forms of autism may not have been identified at all."
Dr. Down and the Dawn of Developmental Disorders
Dr. J. Langdon Down, best known for having described Down's Syndrome, also gave the first major description of savant syndrome in 1887 when he gave a lecture to the London Medical Society documenting ten cases of persons with mental "dis-abilities" who had striking "a-bilities" which stood in such stark and jarring contrast. Dr. Down's ten cases of musical, artistic, and numbers ability, coupled with phenomenal memory, have been mirrored repeatedly in the 117 years since that early, astute and accurate description.
But buried in that lecture as well are some other astute and before-its-time observations regarding instances of what we would now probably call autistic disorder, both early-onset and late-onset type. While Dr. Down did not call these special cases "autistic disorder," he did apply the term 'developmental' to them, and even made commentary regarding head shape and developmental disorders, a finding being explored now a century later.
In this early description of cases "impossible to include" in the usual forms of mental retardation Down uses terms such as "living in a world of their own"; "referring to himself in the third person"; "lessened responsiveness"; "lost speech"; "self-contained and self-absorbed caring not to be entertained other than his own dream-land and automatic and rhythmical movements." Those descriptions are so applicable to what we now call Autistic Disorder.
With all the emphasis on the 'explosion' in autism cases, whether apparent or real, these days it is useful to revisit Dr. Down's writings a century later to realize autism is not a new disorder, and the late on-set form of autistic disorder existed even in his day 100 years before present controversies as to what might be responsible for this late onset phenomenon.
Dr. Down's remarkable observations are recounted, and summarized, in the articles section of this Web site.
From Imaging to Imagery
In recent years there has been a fascination with neuroimaging, especially functional imaging (fMRI, PET, SPECT) where one can witness the brain at work, rather than just outline brain architecture. As spectacular as the images are that come from such new techniques, the real challenge is in transferring knowledge to practical application in treatment and recovery from CNS catastrophes. As such, interest is shifting from improving brain images to the possibility of harnessing brain imagery to either directly influence some special, helping devices, or to assist in brain rewiring and developing new brain circuitry to reroute around damaged pathways.
In the past "thought control" was generally applied to the possibility of using some sort of technology to influence internal thoughts from outside. That's a rather frightening prospect and many novels and movies have been made about that problematic scenario. But "thought control" in the other direction — using thoughts in the brain to control some outside technology — is a much more pleasant and promising prospect. Two efforts in Wisconsin address the latter.
In a headline "Think, shoot, score!" a December 5, 2004 article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel describes the work of a researcher at the UW Functional Neurosurgery Department. Two patients, using electrodes implanted prior to neurosurgery, were able "to control a computer cursor and play basic video games just by thinking about it." In these cases, wires from electrodes were plugged into a computer and the patients took several weeks "to master their ability to control the cursor with their thoughts. By thoughts alone, one patient quickly learned a modified version of Pong and he was able to play it just as well as having a joystick in his hand." Both patients had electrodes implanted temporarily prior to neurosurgery for several conditions. Obviously, the objective of this research would be to develop a less obtrusive method of capturing "thoughts," such as a cap covered with very sensitive EEG electrodes. The practical application would be to bypass the spinal column by harnessing electrical impulses to restore movement to disabled limbs in certain types of paralysis. All of this applied, non-intrusive technology is some years away, but procedures that allow a quadriplegic person, for example, to be more fully functional just by "thinking about it" have already been successfully carried out with electrode implantation. Everyone has a fantasy about switching the TV channel, or turning off the light switch by someday just thinking about it. Who knows?
An article in the Journal Sentinel on December 8, 2004 titled "Device may be new pathway to the brain" describes a quite different approach to modifying brain function in certain disorders. In this instance, a device helps people with severe balance problems by routing impulses triggered by electrodes attached to the tongue to the area of the brain associated with vision. Technically the device, also from UW-Madison and named BrainPort, is a "proprietary electrotactile human-machine interface platform." For reasons not understood, after using the device for a short time, persons who are disabled by severe balance problems, can navigate quite normally for 5-6 hours. BrainPort uses a plastic device with 144 electrodes on the tongue, connected to a rigged helmet that measures head movement tilting right, left, forward or backward. The patient senses his balance through a series of 'buzzes' on the tongue. While the device does not cure the balance problem, it produces considerable improvement. This same technology is being explored in other studies to help visually impaired persons "view" elements of the world otherwise not available to them. Mitch Tyler, a biomedical engineer at the University of Wisconsin said it this way: "The brain is flexible and adaptable. We are adding an additional pathway to allow it to function and explore its environment."
While these studies are not directly related to savant syndrome in any manner, they do point up the plasticity, and compensatory possibilities, of the central nervous system, which is an important issue in savant syndrome, particularly in the case of the acquired savant. They also point out that the search for practical, less-intrusive procedures to assist recovery and rehabilitation in a variety of CNS disorders using newer imagery technology is underway.
Left-Brain/Right-Brain Differences in Autism
Why is savant syndrome seen so much more frequently in autistic disorder than in other Developmental Disabilities or other CNS disorders? Part of the answer to that question may lie in the fact that recent research findings continue to document that autistic disorder and savant syndrome both share left hemisphere dysfunction, and right hemisphere preference. A recent study adds more evidence, in support of prior studies, documenting left hemisphere dysfunction and right hemisphere compensation, or preference, in autistic disorder.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon's Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging and the University of Pittsburgh found that, compared to control subjects, the individuals with autism, when presented with certain alphabet letter tasks, showed more activation in the right hemisphere of the brain than the left. Reports on that research point out that "the left hemisphere is usually associated with processing verbal information and the right hemisphere is associated with visual and spatial information processing. Since letters can be interpreted as verbal codes (letter names) or visual codes (letter shapes), the different uses of two hemispheres seem to correspond to a difference in strategies: The autism group likely remembered letters by their shape, while the control group remembered letter names." (click here for more)
In short, persons with autism in this study showed right hemisphere preference, and presumably left hemisphere dysfunction, for certain tasks compared to control subjects. Savant skills are also predominantly right brain abilities, including visual and spatial information, with generally impaired verbal (left hemisphere) function. Since both autistic disorder and savant syndrome share the same right hemisphere preference, it would not be an unexpected finding that savant syndrome is more common in autistic disorders than other CNS or Developmental Disability Disorders. While no single over-arching theory can explain all savants, increasingly left hemisphere dysfunction with compensatory right hemisphere preference appears to be frequently implicated as a causative mechanism as pointed out in a number of other postings on this site.
Different for decades — Adults with Asperger Syndrome strive to fit in
November 14, 2004 article by Kathleen O'Brien of the Star Ledger on NJ.com. Click here to open it in a new window.
Losing the Training Wheels: Adapted Bikes as a Therapy Tool
There is a new very informative and useful Web site on using specially tailored bicycles to teach persons with disabilities how to become successful bike riders, and, in so doing, to be able to join other youngsters in this very popular and normal part of growing up. The newly established Web site at www.losethetrainingwheels.org presents useful information for parents and professionals on the availability of existing camps for adapted bike training, and how to establish such camps where none exist now.
While bike riding is a rite of passage and an accepted societal norm for adolescents, a number of children with cognitive as well as physical disabilities aren't able to master bike riding other than by continued use of awkward training wheels and possibly other trike and four-wheeler adaptations. Richard Klein, a retired University of Illinois mechanical engineering professor, has devised a systematic program providing the opportunity for children with a wide array of disabilities to master conventional two-wheeler bike riding.
Klein uses special adapted bikes which are slow in forward speed and slow in falling to enable children to become comfortable and to learn the nuances of bike riding. As children develop and encode proper steering responses, the bikes can be refitted to be more like conventional bikes. He replaces conventional tires with wide, but crowned rollers. Unlike bikes fitted with training wheels, the roller equipped trainers will tip gently in response to rider manipulations. The therapy is delivered in a camp or clinic format, thus working with a group of youngsters typically lasts normally one week.
Large numbers of children (typically about 80 percent who participate in the program), are able to master bike riding and are thus able to shed those humiliating training wheels and cumbersome adapted trikes. The therapy is effective for children with a wide range of disabilities such as autism, Asperger's syndrome, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, fetal drug syndrome, Prader Willi syndrome, obesity, and visual disorders. These children learn to ride bikes, typically, within a few days of therapy. There are numerous benefits such as increased self-esteem, improved stamina, and peer inclusion. An article in the Utica, NY Observer-Dispatch of October 14, 2003 provides an overview; see www.uticaod.com/archive/2003/10/14/news/17451.html. The October 2002 issue of Exceptional Parent Magazine, pp. 64-66, also provides an overview.
Klein has conducted camps in a number of states including California, Delaware, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Camps or clinics are usually held in conjunction with area civic institutions or charitable organizations that provide facilities as well as volunteer instructors. Klein is presently based in the St. Louis area, although he travels extensively for the bike therapy program. Additional information about the adapted bike program can be obtained by contacting Richard Klein at r-klein@uiuc.edu.
Darold A. Treffert, MD
W4065 Maplewood Lane
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin 54935
"Eureka!" and "Aha!": A right brain phenomenon
Three cognitive neuroscientists from Northwestern University, and Drexel University, recently reported that areas of brain activity involved with the emergence of sudden insight—the "Aha!" or "Eureka" experience—differ from those areas involved in more traditional or straightforward problem solving. In those instances where insight or problem solutions that have been elusive suddenly appear and become obvious-sometimes even during sleep for example-there is increased brain activity in the right temporal areas, as measured by functional MRI or EEG tracings, compared to left hemisphere activity.
Student participants were given word problems to solve. In addition to solving the problem, each person reported whether the solution, when it came to them, felt like a sudden insight as opposed to a more typical more slowly emerging solution. According to the researchers, the problems were designed to evoke a distinct "Aha" moment about half the time they were solved. Functional MRI techniques showed increased activity occurred in the right anterior superior temporal gyrus during insight solutions, and no such increased activity was noted during non-insight problem solving. In addition, EEG tracings were used to record activity during insight, and non-insight solutions.
About 1/3 of a second before those solutions characterized by more sudden insight, there was a sudden burst of high frequency activity associated with the more sudden process; there was no such increase in activity in non-insight solution processes. This increased EEG activity was in the same right anterior temporal area, compared to left sided areas, as was the case with functional MRI techniques.
A Northwestern News story on the internet summarizes the study and indicates that these findings demonstrate "what is really going on in the brain when the light bulb goes on". That story can be accessed here. The paper itself appeared on-line in the April, 2004 edition of Biology, and open-access scientific journal published by the Public Library of Science.
What does this have to do with savant syndrome? The "Aha" problem solving phemomenon seems to occur at an unconscious, or pre-conscious level, and is associated with right brain, as opposed to left brain, CNS activity. Birbaumer, in work described elsewhere on this site, found evidence of such unconscious, or pre-conscious 'calculating' in 'expert' (but non-savant) math whizzes compared to non-expert math students. He named such activity Event Related Potentials (ERP') and was able to measure such activity in the expert as he did his calculations, compared to non-experts doing their calculations in the traditional manner. This unconscious, or pre-conscious processing is very reminiscent of savant syndrome lightning calculators or calendar calculators who are able to perform complex math and number tasks but have no awareness of how they do it, nor can they explain how they do it. George, for example simply says "I got a good mind. That's how I do it".
At the same time, Pesenti and his colleagues, (whose work is also described in more detail on this site) in studying a calculating prodigy (non-savant "expert") documented what appears to be right brain activity in right-sided prefrontal and medial temporal regions when this 'expert' calculator was doing his unconscious or preconscious problem solving compared to non-expert, non-prodigy calculators using more traditional methods for problem solving. This right sided activity correlates nicely with right sided CNS activity described with the "Aha" phenomenon.
These right-sided CNS findings in non-savant expert calculators using pre-conscious or unconscious reasoning, (like savants use) and the same right sided findings related to the "Aha" experience of unconscious problem solving (such as savants do) would seem to provide further evidence in support of the left brain damage/right brain compensation theory of savant syndrome etiology which is noted often in other postings on this site.
These finding would lend some credence as well to the observation that sometimes intuitive thinking, or visionary thinking, or intuition itself can constitute a savant skill, and that such a skill tends to be right hemisphere in origin, just as so many of the other savant skills such as music, art and mathematics. While no over-arching theory can explain all savants, increasingly data from studies such as this tend to support the left hemisphere damage/right hemisphere compensation phenomenon as the basic neuropathology and neuropathophysiology of savant syndrome in many, if not most, savants, and heightens interest toward better understanding savant syndrome and its relationship to prodigy, genius and day to day thought processing and problem solving within us all.
Matt Savage — A marvelous Celebrating A-bilities week
Each year the Appleton, Wisconsin community devotes an entire week to various activities highlighting A-bilities in persons with disabilities. This year the guest of honor and artist in residence was Matt Savage. He and his mother Diane spent 4 days in Appleton visiting various schools, culminating with Matt Savage in Concert at the Performing Arts Center on September 23, 2004.
It was quite a week. Matt and his mother met with elementary and high school students in two separate appearances at those schools. I had a chance to meet with some of the high school students, to talk about savant syndrome and special abilities in persons such as Matt, in the afternoon right after Matt had met with them in the morning. What enthusiasm and inspiration Matt had provided! The energized students were amazed at his abilities, and captured by his personality and ease with the audience. They particularly enjoyed the 'audience challenge' portion of the presentation where Matt would instantly improvise a piano piece to any word or subject they might suggest like a color, or an animal, or a feeling, for example.
Matt carried out that same 'audience participation' in the evening concert as well capturing instantly, musically, the meaning, tone and concept of whatever word was suggested. He served, magically almost, as his own M.C. at the concert, entirely at ease, comical at times, but eminently serious with his music. He played some pieces from his just released 6th CD — Cutting Loose — which was recorded with his Bass player and Drummer as the Matt Savage Trio. But on this night Matt played solo. He played a piece he composed for his sister's birthday, and one dedicated to his Grandpa. How he can get such mighty tones with his tiny hands is a mystery. Matt needs to literally stretch, or bend, or move on the piano bench to reach both ends of the concert grand, so much bigger than he. But he does. Impressive.
I had a chance to have lunch with Matt and his mother. He is as relaxed and engaging over lunch as he is on stage. I learned about some of his other abilities as well. He recognized Treffert as a palindrome, and proceeded to list a number of other palindromes and also told me about resources on palindromes where I could find, if I wished, the longest palindrome in the world. When told my birth date he paused for bit, silently calculating in his head, which day of the week that was — and of course he was right. It was a Sunday. I didn't realize Matt was a world authority on roller coasters and could easily identify the longest, the highest, the fastest, the whatever. He seems to prefer to study them rather than ride them, however, but he has ridden several. Matt is very bright, articulate, well rounded and engagingly pleasant. His mom, who home schools both Matt and his 9 year old sister, is justifiably proud of Matt as well she should be. She has obviously done a great job as a Mom, and as a teacher. Matt and Diane both cherish their rural lifestyle in New Hampshire. We traded orchard and gardening notes, stories, hints, tips and pearls. We are both on a learning curve in that area of endeavor, but making some fulfilling progress. Nothing like fresh fruit and vegetables right out of the garden or orchard. Matt loves fruits and vegetables.
Through the years I have had the privilege of meeting a number of persons with savant abilities, including some prodigious savants which is still a relatively rare circumstance overall. But every now and then there explodes on the scene a new 'rocket of talent' that showers us with the light of a uniquely spectacular ability in an already extraordinary condition. Matt Savage is such a rocket of talent, showering us with its light and we are its beneficiaries.
There are a number of questions about savant syndrome that continue to intrigue me even after 40 years of study. Matt answers some of those questions.
Matt and Diane's visit is one that the Appleton community will long remember.
And so will I.
— Darold A. Treffert, MD
The Neuropsychology of Talent, Intelligence and Creativity in Prodigies and Savants
Dr. M. Layne Kalbfleisch of George Mason University and Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. explores in detail the "Functional Neural Anatomy of Talent" in a recently published article in Anatomical Record (Part B: New Anat.)277B:21-36, 2004. This article examines neurobiological definitions, and recent neuropsychology findings, regarding intelligence, talent, creativity, prodigy, giftedness, savant skills and brain "plasticity", and the inter-relationships, neurobiologically speaking, between those items central to better understanding savant syndrome overall. The article focuses especially on 'talent' which is defined as "the possession and development of a skill, and the expression, of a natural aptitude in one or more domains" such as music, mathematics or athletics. How that domain-specific element relates to domain-general measured intelligence is discussed throughout the paper, including the exceptional condition of savant syndrome. The paper summarizes quite comprehensively recent advances in the neuropsychology of exceptional talent, and points out "with growing technological and methodological advances in the neurosciences, various fields working interdependently are poised to answer some of natures most complex and compelling questions regarding human cognition and its remarkable consequences." It is a good contemporary summary of the relationship between talent, intelligence and creativity in prodigies and savants.
Palaeolithic Art And Autistic Savant Syndrome
In a presentation to the Autism Europe 7th International Congress in Lisbon, Spain in November, 2003 Paul Trehin summarizes thought and research which compares very early (upper Palaelithic period), realistic art forms to that of present day gifted autistic children and adults. A number of persons have been struck by the similarity of some prehistoric cave art and that of gifted autistic artists, particularly Nadia. Trehin explores that whole topic in depth in two papers, < ahref="http://perso.wanadoo.fr/gilles.trehin.urville/palaeo_art_autistic_savant_syndr.htm" target="_blank">one specifically examining palaeolithic art and autistic savant syndrome and the other examining the possible role of savant syndrome in the mankind's historic, and pre-historic evolution. The latter paper is titled "Radical or progressive evolution? The case of "savant syndrome". Both papers make interesting reading surrounding these topics, and the fascinating speculation and implications involved.
Mr. Trehin was author of the text surrounding his son's special ability and remarkable project of the city of Urville described elsewhere in the profiles section of this site. He is Autism Europe Vice President. His paper can be accessed in French, with images, by clicking here. The e-mail address for Mr. Trehin is Trehinp@aol.com.
Infant Blindness and Musical Ability
The triad of blindness, mental handicap and musical genius is one which appears with conspicuous regularity in the savant literature over this past century, so much so that a separate posting — Musical Genius, Blindness and Mental Handicap — exists on this site along with a posting about Soundscape, a special school in London for such individuals. Comes now a Canadian study which confirms that musical/blindness link in a number of persons, and points as well to the "brain plasticity' involved in the first two years of life particularly for these individuals as a compensatory process within the brain itself. Both those observations, and confirmatory findings, are important in understanding musical savants overall. An article on the Canadian study can be found here.
A Change of Mind: Creativity Unlocked by Stroke
The magazine Nature and the BBC News both report on the interesting case of Tommy McHugh, a 54-year-old London man whose obsessive drawing, sculpting and poetry writing skills surprisingly, and unexpectedly, emerged following a subarachnoid cerebral hemorrhage in 2001 from two bleeding aneurysms.
According to these reports, Mr. McHugh had no particular prior interest in art, but now spends almost all of his time compulsively creating. Psychological testing apparently shows a "mix of abilities and disabilities", and further imaging and neuropsychological studies are underway at the University College London. Precise MRI studies are hampered by the presence of the two metal clips and coils which were used to repair the aneurysms.
A press release from the Institute of Child Health gives detailed background on Mr. McHugh before and after the stroke. About 6 months after surgery he began writing massive amounts of poetry with vast "creative urges." Soon thereafter he began pencil and felt tip drawings followed by pastel drawings. And then came some sculptures. He describes his art as "exploding" within him, and, at the same time, providing "life-saving therapy."
This instance of new-found artistic ability is reminiscent of Dr. Bruce Miller's fronto-temporal dementia (FTD) patients whose artistic or other creative abilities — not present pre-illness — emerged, sometimes at a prodigious level, as the dementia proceeded. It also provides, of course, more information for further examination of the biology of the creative process, and more evidence as well for so-called 'acquired' artistic skills following CNS incident or disease discussed on this site.
All of this fuels as well the search for the hidden potential, perhaps, that lies within us all discussed at length elsewhere on this site as well.
It was Alonzo's World Premier in Denver in 1986 that led to the establishment of a information and clearinghouse center for Savant Syndrome, through the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation, and then eventually to the establishment and maintainance of this site.
As the cover states, the book "is more than simply an artists' showcase. It is a model designed to shed new light onto the all too often misunderstood world of autism. In this first-of-its-kind art collection, we present the mind's eye view of individuals with autism from around the world. Their colorful, brilliant, often lonely worlds come to life in diverse mediums: elegant line drawings, muted watercolors, vibrant temperas, confident acrylics...."
Artism is an insightful glimpse into, and a colorful shout out from, the fascinating world of the autistic artist and autistic savant. It can be ordered through the bookstore at the Autism Today Web site at www.autismtoday.com.
New, Sophisticated Imaging Techniques
It was not too long ago when the only imaging technique to study autism and savant syndrome was the CAT scan, which was a high-resolution technique to study brain architecture. Soon after came MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) which provided even dramatically higher resolution of brain structure. Then came PET, SPECT and fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) which allow study of brain function, not just brain structure, representing a very significant research advance.
The American Society of Neuroradiologists is meeting June 5-12, 2004 in Seattle. At that meeting even newer techniques, and more importantly results from use of those techniques, will be reported. Those newer techniques include Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS), and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) sometimes referred to as Fiber Tracking. The latter is particularly interesting because first of all, it is non-invasive, and secondly it permits tracking of the actual fiber tracks anatomically as they course through the brain hemispheres rather then having to 'map' them only by inference from functional imaging while the patient performs certain tasks.
Of particular usefulness in studying autism has been magnetoencephalography (MEG). An early press release by the ASNR states the following regarding the usefulness of MEG in studying autism: "MEG is a non-invasive, high resolution technique that can detect fields so minute that it can physically image a single thought in real-time. In this manner, MEG has been extremely insightful in gaining a greater understanding of how autistic children process sounds (only in the left hemisphere as opposed to both) and other aspects of language impairments, traditionally associated with autism. Together with MR imaging and functional MRI, it provides a picture of how brain functions are organized in individuals with autism."
This should be an exciting, insightful, time ahead as the alphabet soup of neuroimaging techniques provides an ever greater repertoire of tools to study the brain at work in illnesses such as autism, in special circumstances such as savant syndrome, and indeed, in day to day functioning within us all.
Another excellent source of information about this condition can be obtained from the Web site www.focusfamilies.org hosted by the Focus Families organization with a number of worldwide chapters.
Left Brain Damage and the Immune System
Increasingly evidence supports left hemisphere brain damage as being a critical etiological factor in some instances of savant syndrome as explained in articles elsewhere on this site. There is also considerable evidence of left hemisphere brain damage and dysfunction in autism itself (and as many as one in ten persons with autism have some savant abilities). Some have postulated that autism is an immune disorder. A new study has the interesting finding that epilepsy surgery produces different effects on the immune system since damage or surgery to the left half of the brain may make a right-handed person more susceptible to being immunocompromised.
The study was published in the May 24, 2004 on-line edition of the Annals of Neurology and is summarized at this link.
While the study makes no specific reference to autism or savant syndrome, the study does pose some interesting speculation in tying together immunologic response following left hemisphere brain damage, the etiology of autism & savant syndrome, and the increased incidence of both autism and savant syndrome in males (where cerebral lateralization and neuronal damage may play a vital role).
It is a clue, at least, worthy of further exploration.
The Rising Incidence of Autism and Thimerosal: A Connection?
Because savant syndrome occurs in as high as 10% of autistic children, any findings relative to the cause or incidence of autism are pertinent to the study of savant syndrome. Two recent articles are of interest.
A USA TODAY article explores the mystery of the increased incidence of autism so widely reported. While debate continues as to how much of this increase might be due to broader definitions of autistic disorder as opposed to an actual increase, most investigators agree there does seem to be an actual increase. Why this is so is the thrust of many investigations, and much speculation, at the present time.
One of the suspected causes for the increase in the incidence of autism has been a possible link between thimerosal (a mercury-containing preservative in childhood vaccines) and the onset of autistic disorder in some children who had developed normally until immunizations were administered. The Institute of Medicine has been studying this possible link, which has generated very heated debate, for some time. On May 18, 2004 the Institute issued a report which, for the first time, concluded that scientific evidence did not support a link between vaccine ingredients and autism, and concluded that further research was not warranted. While this may not end the debate, this report from the Institute of Medicine certainly provides substantial evidence against any such link. You can review the a published report of this IOM finding at www.medscape.com/viewarticle/478197 (requires you to log in) or you can view the Executive Summary of the report at www.sarnet.org/lib/IOMExecSum.pdf (large file; requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).
News Story: "A musical savant"
Rochelle Watson has cognitive disabilities, but astonishing talent
The Saint Augustine Record — May 1, 2004
Christophe Pillault: New Savant Profile
Click here for a new Savant Profile on Christophe Pillault of Olivet, France. An autistic savant, he is unable to talk, walk or feed himself. He discovered painting, using his hands though unable to use his fingers functionally. His paintings are striking due to the imagery, fascinating, improbable, and sometimes mystic characters represented.
Matt Savage Continues to Amaze
Matt Savage has yet another area of expertise — Geography. On April 1, 2004 Matt won the National Geography Bee state competition for New Hampshire. On May 25th and 26th Matt will represent that state in the national Geography Bee Finals in Washington, D.C. That event will be hosted by Alex Trebek and will be broadcast live on the National Geographic Channel. Matt has demonstrated his prodigious musical ability as a jazz musician at many concerts and on television, and the WIRED magazine story in December, 2003 highlighted his mathematical abilities as well. Now surfaces his Geography skills. Presently Matt is home-schooled but at age 11 he is at an advanced Algebra level and is able to teach math to third graders. Updated information about Matt, including his concert schedule for the Matt Savage Trio, can be accessed at his Web site at www.savagerecords.com. The Home Page on that site provides as well more information, some pictures, and newspaper story links regarding this more recently surfaced Geography talent and skill.
An Imaging Report and Left Hemisphere Dysfunction in Savant Syndrome
For those viewers fluent in Spanish, or with access to a translation, the journal Revista De Neurologia carries an article by Dr. J. A. Munoz-Yunta and co-workers from Barcelona, Spain titled "El sidrome de savant o idiot savant." The article focuses on recent imaging studies in savants and particularly on the support for left hemisphere damage in savants that neuroimaging supplies. The English Abstract reads thus:
"Savant Syndrome is currently still very mysterious, yet, thanks to the progress made in neuroimaging studies and especially MSI (Magnetic Source Imaging) techniques, a little more is now known about it. The theory, formulated many years ago, about damage to the left hemisphere of the brain has been supported by functional neuroimaging. Its relation to developmental disorders or to autism spectrum disorders is far more justified today and can be explained on the basis of its neuropathology. We present a study based on a review of the scientific literature concerning the syndrome, from the first time is was described back in 1789 by Benjamin Rush up to the present day. We comment on its epidemiology and positive clinical manifestations, involving brilliant artistic talent and dazzling memory, but also the negative aspects suffered by these autistic patients. The most important theories are discussed together with the clinical coincidence with frontotemporal dementia and the responsibility of the right hemisphere when there are alterations in the contralateral hemisphere. The latest contribution made by Positron Emission Tomography and magnetoencephalography will be discussed and a mini-video of a personal case will be projected (REV NEUROL 2003; 36(Supl 1): S157-61."
Asperger's and High Functioning Autism: The same or different disorders?
Often Autistic Spectrum Disorders are divided into three categories: Low Functioning Autism (IQ less than 70); High Functioning Autism (IQ greater than 70); and Asperger's syndrome. Using structural MRI imaging, Lotspeich and co-workers at Stanford and other facilities, attempted to see if there were differences in total brain volume, and particularly grey matter volume, between the low functioning autism, high functioning autism and Asperger's syndrome groups. Click here for more on this story.
The TMS "Thinking Cap" and Savant Skills
The first formal published study on the use of TMS (Trans-magnetic Stimulation) to perhaps uncover latent savant skills in normal persons has now been published. Dr. Allan Snyder and co-workers at the Centre for the Mind in Sydney, Australia used TMS to suppress activity in the left fronto-temporal area of the brain of eleven male volunteers in order to measure changes in performance on tasks of drawing, and proofreading. Their paper titled "Savant-like skills exposed in normal people by suppressing the left fronto-temporal lobe" appeared recently in the Journal of Integrative Neuroscience (Volume 2, Number 2, 149-158, 2003). Click here for more on this story.
Update: Pi in the Sky (story immediately below)
Daniel Tammet was successful on March 14, 2004 in setting a new UK and European record by reciting Pi from memory, without error, to 22,514 decimal places in a time of 5 hours, 9 minutes. Read a BBC account of it here.
Pi in the Sky
The National Society for Epilepsy in London has an interesting press release announcing that a "Pi in the Sky" event will take place at the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford on March 14, 2004. On that date Daniel Tammet, whose childhood experience with epilepsy "left him with astonishing mental skills, including the ability to 'see' numbers in his head" and a prodigious memory, will use that "incredible memory to recall the mathematical constant Pi (3.141...) to over 22,500 decimal places to set and new British and European Record." The date coincides with both Pi Day and Einstein's birthday, and the event will take place in front of Einstein's blackboard.
Some background about Daniel Tammet is on the Optimnem Web site where it states "A series of seizures as a young child changed forever the way Daniel saw the world around him. For one thing, Daniel was able to literally 'see' numbers in his head, as if they were images. Not surprisingly, he quickly became proficient in number patterns, able to figure various roots, powers, even the decimal expansions for prime number fractions often quicker than a friend with a calculator.
"Unlike autistic savants, Daniel outgrew his disability. His astonishing mental skills remained. As an example, following an invitation from organizers, Daniel attended the largest ever 'World Mental Skills Championship' in London. In August, 2000, he was awarded the event's international gold medal for, among other things, the ability to memorize a string of 1,517 randomly-generated decimal digits in a single hour — backwards as well as forwards.
"Daniel was subsequently invited to London's Institute of Neurology to undergo tests for a landmark study of prodigious mental ability. The summarized data, co-written by some of Britain's leading brain scientists, appeared in the New Year 2003 edition of the highly prestigious Nature neuro-scientific magazine."
— Archive of Past "What's New?" Items —
For more information, please contact:
Darold A. Treffert, MD
St. Agnes Hospital, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison
Personal Web site: www.daroldtreffert.com
E-mail: daroldt@charter.net
Update — July 20, 2007
An Extraordinary Art Exhibit
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An extraordinary, unique art exhibit—Windows of Genius:Artwork of the Prodigious Savant—will provide an exceptional educational event as well at the Windhover Center for the Arts in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin from September 7 to October 12, 2007.
This brochure describes the event in detail. This exhibit provides a very rare opportunity to see paintings, drawings, sculptures and other art forms of various prodigious savants displayed in a single show. Text summaries of the background of these extraordinary artists will provide an educational glimpse into the mind, as well as the world, of the prodigious savant. Additionally, video clips will be used to further illustrate these prodigious abilities and skills of these extraordinary people. Works from these internationally known persons, familiar to this Web site, will be included: Gregory Blackstock; Alonzo Clemons; Temple Grandin; Jonathan Lerman; Catherine Mouet; Christophe Pillault; Gilles Trehin; Richard Wawro; George Widener; Stephen Wiltshire; Ping Lian Yeak and others. Ping Lian, from Australia, will be attending the exhibit in person and some of the other artists may attend as well. The opening reception on September 7 will include a lecture by Dr. Treffert on the prodigious savant, using video clips extensively, since savant syndrome is better seen than described. Throughout the month there will be other special educational opportunities for interested students and other groups. The exhibit is being co-sponsored by the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation, Agnesian Healthcare of Fond du Lac, and the Fond du Lac Area Foundation. More information about the exhibit can be obtained by e-mail to savants@charter.net or from the Windhover Center for the Arts in Fond du Lac at 920.921.5410. |
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Update — July 20, 2007
The Real 'Rain Man' has a new book
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Fran Peek has written a new book about the marvelous journey of his son, Kim, "from a reclusive child to an international celebrity" thanks, in large part, to the post Rain Man travels and appearances he and his father have made spreading their message of hope, patience, acceptance and diversity. The book is The Life and Message of The Real Rain Man—the Journey of a Mega-Savant. Lisa L. Hanson, and Fran Peek, together chronicle Kim's childhood and pre-Rain Man struggles, his astounding memory abilities, the surprising discovery of his musical ability, and the emergence, now, of complex, creative and entertaining wit. Kim says "my Dad and I share the same shadow." They do, and what a marvelous image that shadow casts as an inspiration to all of us.
The book is available from National Professional Resources of Port Chester, New York at
www.NPRinc.com or 800.453.7461.
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Autism Job Placement Service
What a wonderfully useful service—connecting job seekers (persons on the autism spectrum) with job providers (autism friendly employers). Natural Learning Concepts of Dix Hills, New York has begun "connecting people on the autism spectrum with potential jobs and employers nationwide".
There is more information about this needed service on the web site at www.nlconcepts.com. The service can also be contacted by telephone at 800.823.3430.
Thus far there has been an 'incredible' interest by potential employers in using this service and hopefully many successful matches will take place.
Update — June 8, 2007 "Windows of Genius": Art of the Prodigious Savant The Windhover Center for the Arts in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin is planning to host an exhibit—"Windows of Genius":Art of the Prodigious Savant—from September 7, 2007 to October 12, 2007. The exhibit will feature art work and sculpture by many of the artists profiled on this Web site, and collected through the years by Dr. Treffert. The purpose of the exhibit is to raise awareness about savant syndrome, autism and Asperger's disorder and to share the work of some of these remarkable persons directly with viewers. The opening event will be a lecture and video presentation on Savant Syndrome on September 7, 2007. Similar presentations to school groups and other organizations will be made available at the Windhover Center on other dates during the exhibition. Some audio-visual clips will be used to provide more background on the artists. This is a preliminary notice and a more formal announcement will follow later. |
"Windows of Genius": Art of the Prodigious Savant
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Update — May 4, 2007 Derek: In the Key of Genius Derek Paravicini is a prodigious savant pianist profiled elsewhere on this site. Adam Ockelford is the music teacher who has been working with Derek for many years. The story of that remarkable and very productive relationship is now told in the book In the Key of Genius: The Extraordinary Life of Derek Paravicini,as written by Adam Ockelford. The book is published by Hutchinson in London and is scheduled for release this month, May, 2007. Derek is an prominent example of the intriguing triad of visual impairment, mental handicap and musical genius that appears with such regularity in savant literature these past 125 years. So much so that Adam Ockelford established Soundscape, in London, a school devoted entirely to all persons with visual impairment and musical prowess. Derek is a part of that student group. |
Derek: In the Key of Genius
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Update — May 4, 2007 Daniel Tammet story and the movies Variety Magazine announces that Warner Brothers Studios have purchased movie rights to Daniel Tammet's book Born on a Blue Day, setting it up with Denise DiNovi's Di Novi Pictures to produce. Daniel is profiled elsewhere on this site. Born on a Blue Day was originally published by Hodder & Stoughton in London. Dr. Treffert wrote the forward to that edition of the book. That book, later published by Free Press in the USA, along with the Brainman DVD from Focus Productions in London, both brought Daniel to international attention for his memory, mathematical and language skills. The profile on this site also contains two videos of Daniel and his incredible abilities. |
Daniel Tammet's story |
Update — April 12, 2007
Beautiful Minds Update
The second hour long program in the three hour documentary "Beautiful Minds" will be broadcast by National Geographic Channel on April 29, 2007 at 2:00 pm Eastern time. This segment is titled "Struck by Genius" and focuses on Creativity. It includes profiles on Alonzo Clemons, Matt Savage and Stephen Wiltshire as examples of creative genius in savant syndrome.
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The award-winning Colourfield Production Company film "Beautiful Minds: The Memory Masters" is scheduled to be broadcast by the National Geographic Channel on Sunday, March 25, 2007 at 4:00 pm Eastern Time. This segment is the first of three hour long programs on the brain, with many sections highlighting particular savants. This first hour provides profiles on Kim Peek, Howard Potter and Orlando Serrell, as well as memory genius Rudiger Gamm. The other two programs, one of which focuses on creativity and the other on the male/female brain, are scheduled to be shown at a later date. The second hour long program provides excellent profiles on Matt Savage, Alonzo Clemons and Stephen Wiltshire. The final hour program provides an excellent profile of Temple Grandin and her remarkable writings and success.
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Snippet of graphics from the cover of "Beautiful Minds—Expedition ins Gehirn"
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A ten-minute promotional trailer for the original film can be accessed here.
Update — April 5, 2007
Cover Art for Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
An art piece—"Stable: by Ping Lian Yeak—was chosen for the cover of the current issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, a publication of the American Medical Association. Some commentary about art and autism is provided by Dr. Treffert. An on-line version of the art work and article can be accessed at http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/161/4/323.
Update — March 30, 2007
Autism and Savant Syndrome in unfamiliar places
It used to be the programs on autism and savant syndrome showed up in documentaries, on PBS or on the usual network TV programs. But, usefully, times have changed and entirely new audiences are being reached.
On March 15, 2007 MTV Network included Jonathan Lerman, along with two other persons with Asperger's disorder, in a four segment program titled True Life:I Have Autism.
On Sunday, April 22 at 8:30 pm Eastern time, the award winning program Nick News with Linda Ellerbee "takes a look at the lives of kids struggling with different levels of autism in 'Private Worlds: Kids and Autism'". Two persons familiar to this web site will be included—Matt Savage and Temple Grandin. The final segment focuses on "how other kids can be a part of the lives and worlds of kids with autism".
It should be a very interesting look at autism and savant syndrome from a different and unique venue.
Update — March 6, 2007
Chinese Translation Edition of Extraordinary People
A Simplified Chinese Edition of Extraordinary People:Understanding Savant Syndrome has been published in mainland China by the Beijing World Publishing Company. The cover illustration is particularly attractive and creative. A Complex Chinese edition of the book will be published by Wu-Nan Book Inc. in Taipei, Taiwan as well.
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The interesting result of these foreign editions of the book are new cases of savant syndrome that come to attention by way of this web site, and contacts that are made with other clinicians and research persons in those areas of the world. It also brings to attention documentaries or other films that may have been done in lands and languages distant from each other.
For example The National Science Council in Taiwan produced a documentary, "Capturing Dreams in the Dark", which was a special education project focused on the intervention and results of work with three persons with savant syndrome in that country. |
Creative Cover of the Chinese Edition of Extraodinary People: Understanding Savant Syndrome.
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Update — February 12, 2007
"Training the talent": Some Specific Exercises
While it has been demonstrated the 'training the talent' in persons with savant syndrome can often result in gains in language, socialization and daily living skills overall, there is a paucity of specific tools or techniques to carry out that strategy successfully. Project 40K provides three specifically designed and tested educational approaches and tools for use with high-functioning autistic savant persons whose interest and skills lie in the numbers or numerical areas. The development of 40K products was based on a series of ever-expanding hands-on as well as written activities, or Exercises, which build on the individual's numerical skills to gently broaden mathematics as well as general academic and social skills. Field experience shows the material to be accepted by the student with these special interests and skills, as well as by teachers and other on the educational and treatment team. Some portions of the exercises have been useful on Specific Language Deficit individuals as well.
The exercises are compatible with California Department of Education curriculum and they are designed to be customizable. They come with various support materials including instructor guides.
Further information about these materials, and their availability, can be obtained by inquiry at project_40K@comcast.net.
Update — February 12, 2007
Autoharp: Another method of 'training the talent'
The mother of a 21 year-old daughter with savant musical skills has been very encouraged by her daughter's progress since being introduced to a modified Autoharp. Along with savant musical skills, the daughter has some problems with mild cerebral palsy, which makes it difficult to play an instrument. Most encouraging is the mother's observations that her daughter "learned to talk because we worked with her through songs, which have a double and predictable structure of music coupled with lyrics".
Encouraged by her daughter's progress, this mother has been modifying Autoharps to make them easier to play and has also developed a color-coding system to aid persons who have difficulty deciphering chord symbols. There are a number of such instruments now being effectively used in some schools and residential homes in the where her daughter attends school.
This mother has set up now, a blog URL at http://xable.com/blogs/autoharp with a goal "to identify individuals with splinter savant skills in music and provide a path for developing their skill." That URL site provides more information and links to illustrations of the modified Autoharps. Through this blog, the mother wants to correspond with other parents, teachers, occupational therapists or other persons interested in this particular, specialized approach to 'training the talent'.
Update — January 30, 2007
An Interesting and Useful New Search Engine
A new search engine—www.searchmash.com—provides access on a single screen to web links, video and blog subsets in answer to search inquiries. By keying in "Kim Peek," for example, there appears a sub-set of web links (including www.savantsyndrome.com) along with over 300 picture images and a number of videos of Kim. One of those videos from Big Science provides the entire "The Real Rain Man" video, some 45 minutes in length. Keying in "Brainman" will bring up information on Daniel Tammet and a link to the entire Brainman video, again some 45 minutes in length as seen on Discovery Channel.
If one keys in Savant Syndrome, another video, about 15 minutes in length, on Kim Peek comes up. This video is in French, but along the way provides a particularly more in depth look at Kim's musical performance ability, along with his earlier reported musical inventory knowledge. This video provides yet another insight into Kim's remarkable abilities and story.
Update — January 10, 2007
New videos on Kim Peek and Leslie Lemke
Two new videos have been added now to Kim Peek's profile on this Web site, and one additional video has been added to the Leslie Lemke profile.
The first of the two new, additional Kim Peek videos is a compilation of English excerpts from a Swedish documentary titled "Verklighetens Rain Man" produced by Anders S. Nilsson in Sweden. It is a 19 minute program that includes a heart-warming and informative glimpse into the daily life of Kim and his father, Fran in Salt Lake City. Dr. Darold Treffert provides his commentary on Kim's remarkable savant memory skills, and Dr. Daniel Christensen provides illustrations and an explanation of some of the neurological findings including CT scans and other imaging findings on Kim Peek. Additionally, Barry Morrow, original screenwriter for the movie Rain Man, provides some interesting insights regarding the inspiration that Kim provided for writing that screenplay, and some behind the scenes background on the making of the movie itself, particularly Kim's interaction with Dustin Hoffman who portrayed Raymond Babbitt as a savant in the award winning film.
The other additional, new Kim Peek video is a 7 minute compilation of previously unseen footage provided by Focus Productions especially for this web site. That footage was taken as a part of filming of the Focus Production's "The Real Rain Man" program seen on Discovery Channel and other television broadcasts in the U.S. and the U.K. Focus Productions is located in Bristol, England.
The new, additional video on Leslie Lemke provides excerpts from a 1987 documentary about him titled "An Island of Genius". It is a 15 minute video which tells about some of the early life of Leslie with his remarkable foster mother May Lemke, and provides some examples of Leslie's astonishing piano ability at that time as seen in a 1986 concert. The entire An Island of Genius video is available from Miracle of Love Ministries as outlined on Leslie Lemke's full profile on this web site.
Update — December 19, 2006
A very busy web site
The year end is a good time to review what has been happening with this web site and interest in savant syndrome in general this past 12 months. The addition of streaming video, thanks to a grant from The Brinson Foundation specifically for that purpose, has led to a massive increase in traffic in terms of pages viewed this past year. In October, 2005, for example there were 40,913 page view requests. In October 2006, that number increased to 244,411 page view requests, or over 7800 requests per day. Those inquires come from around the world, and come from other clinicians, researchers, parents, other caretakers, teachers, therapists, students from grade school to graduate school, and media, both print and broadcast. New persons with savant syndrome have come to attention from around the world as well through contact with the website, and new research findings regarding savant syndrome have also been regularly reported.
Part of the popularity of the streaming video is because savant syndrome is often so much better seen, than described. For that reason the intention is to add even more streaming video in the coming year on some of the previously described savants, as well as those newly coming to attention. Of course research findings, as they surface, will be reported as well.
Update — December 11, 2006
"Beautiful Minds—Expedition ins Gehirn"
A number of persons have inquired about the availability of the three hour documentary "Beautiful Minds—Expedition ins Gehirn", having seen portions of it on this web site and in some other places. It is a remarkable production. There is a DVD available, with both German and English versions, directly from the producers, Colourfield Productions in Dortmund, Germany. One hour of the program is on Memory; a second hour is on Creativity; and the third hour is on differences in the Male:Female brain. Segments of the program feature various savants including Matt Savage, Kim Peek, Stephen Wiltshire, Alonzo Clemons and others.
You can view a ten minute trailer of the production by clicking here.
Copies of the DVD can be obtained directly from Colourfield at mail@colourfield.de
Update — November 16, 2006
Taylor Crowe: My Life With Autism
Taylor Crowe is now in his mid-twenties. He and his father, Dr. David Crowe, have put together two excellent DVD's, one of which follows Taylor's remarkable progress since his late-onset autistic disorder began as a child, and the other is an instructive and moving lecture Taylor gave to the 2006 Texas State Conference on Autism. Both are titled The View from Here: My Life with Autism and the first one was seen at the Texas Autism Conference and the second was recorded as Taylor delivered his excellent lecture to that group.
More information about Taylor can be obtained, and the DVD's purchased from, Taylor's web site at www.taylorcrowe.com.
Taylor's "View from Here" is really a view of autism from within. So many lectures are 'about' autism by others; this lecture is by someone 'with' autism and provides poignant and practical insights and advice for any of us who deal with autistic persons in any capacity. His life story is also an uplifting one from a normally developing child, through a devastating regressive process to improvement and recovery to where Taylor is in his senior year studying character animation at the California Institute of Arts.
I hope his story and lecture will get wide visibility through these DVD's, and in person for those groups fortunate enough to hear him first hand.
Darold A. Treffert, MD
Update — November 1, 2006
Stephen Wiltshire Opens His Own Gallery
Savant artist Stephen Wiltshire has now opened his own gallery in London where he will be resident three days per week. The Stephen Wiltshire Gallery will be located at the Royal Opera Arcade in Pall Mall, London. The gallery was established with the encouragement of his sister, Annette, who, along with Stephen, felt it was time that he have his own gallery where he will be present three days a week doing his drawings, painting and some commissioned work. He enjoys meeeting the public and enjoys displaying his works, and himself at work. A trust has been established to manage the fees and royalties from his work according to an article recently published in The Independent.
A streaming video of Stephen at work following a 45 minute helicopter ride over Rome is available on this site.
Update - October 10, 2006
Greg Blackstock: "I'm famous"
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Two important events happened in Greg Blackstock's life in early October: The publication of his book and a book signing at a formal exhibition of his works at the Garde Rail Gallery in Seattle, Washington. The book has increased interest in his work internationally. "I'm famous", Greg is quoted as saying in the very favorable review of his work in the Seattle Times. The review describes his work as having "an orderliness that satisfies the pesky drill sergeant who rules our brains — and also a spark of chaos to thrill the soul." It is delightful art.
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Update - October 2, 2006
Marathons
While this is not about a savant, the parent/child dedication displayed in this video reminds me of the 'marathon' that so many parents of savants, and disabled children in general, run in their lives.
Eighty five times this Dad has pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on his handlebars — all in the same day. This Herculean effort by this Dad is documented by Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated in his "Strongest Dad in the World" article about Dick Hoyt and his son, Rick. Most touching, though, is his son's reaction to this loving effort: "Dad, when we were running it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore."
Update - September 15, 2006
Quantum Leap
Matt Savage, who was featured on the CNN special on Genius on 9/18, has just released his newest CD — Quantum Leap — for worldwide distribution. Matt, who Dave Brubeck refers to as the "Mozart of jazz," composed all the pieces on the new CD, which features The Matt Savage Trio. You can read a review of Quantum Leap at www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ge7zeflk5gfj~T00.
Matt also continues his cross country tours. He will open for Wynton Marsalis in a solo performance in Philadelphia in October and then the Matt Savage Trio will have a trip to Los Angeles at the Jazz Bakery later that month.
There is an excellent article about Matt here on seacoastonline.com that gives some interesting details about his musical genius and other skills (calendar calculating, math and roller coasters). Also, there is a link on the site to listen to several pieces from his new album.
Update - September 15, 2006 (item originally posted September 11)
A CNN program on Genius and Savants
On Sunday, September 17 at 10 p.m. EST CNN is scheduled to broadcast a program titled GENIUS. Portions of that program will examine savant syndrome as one kind of 'genius', including some brief segments with Matt Savage, George Widener, Stephen Wiltshire and Orlando Serrell, along with some commentary by Dr. Treffert. A story titled Savants: Charting 'islands of genius' has already been posted on the CNN Web site. That story contains links to several video clips from the GENIUS program. It can be accessed at www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/09/06/savant.genius/index.html.
Update - September 12, 2006
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Kim Peek: His travels and his documentaries
Kim and his father, Fran, continue to criss-cross the continent, and the world, to share Kim's story, skills and message with a national and international audience. Global television satellite broadcasts allow them to be seen in a number of different countries, such as Okinawa, or Belgium, for example, now without even having to travel there. They have also traveled to the U.K. and Germany within the past year for some 'live' appearances there. The audiences total well over 2 million persons now for just these in-person appearances. The message is an inspirational one both with respect to Kim's extraordinary abilities, as well as the touching portrait of a father and son who, as Kim describes it, "share the same shadow." There are two hour long documentaries now on Kim in addition to the numerous shorter programs he has participated in. Focus Productions in the U.K. has produced "The Real Rain Man" which is being aired on the Discovery Science Channel in the U.S. Swedish television has aired an hour long program titled "Mot Kim Peek:Verklighetens Rainman—den manskliga datorn" which gives a special insight into the relationship between father and son. |
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Kim Peek and Daniel Tammet, two memory giants, are filmed together in an interesting sequence in Brainman, the story of Daniel Tammet, again a Focus Productions hour-long documentary. Click here to view a short segment from Brainman.
Some brief clips of Kim from Focus Productions and Colourfield are now in streaming video on this site. More will be added as they become available.
Update - September 1, 2006
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Extraordinary People Published in Korea
Extraordinary People: Understanding Savant Syndrome is now translated and published in Korea by the Wu-Nan Book, Inc. company. The book is also being translated for later publication in both Simplified Chinese and Complex Chinese forms for distribution in those countries. |
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"J-Mac" and the Indianapolis Colts
Jason McElwain has been a tremendous ambassador for bringing autistic disorder to greater public attention in a very inspirational and touching way. A movie is in the works, he met the President and has had numerous media appearances, all of them upbeat and positive. But in addition, he will be able to carry on his equipment manager duties now as a member of the equipment staff of the Indianapolis Colts. That story can be accessed here.
The original clip on Jason's spectacular three point shooting can be found on the Internet in many formats by searching for "Jason McElwain video". It is 240 seconds of wonder, and hope.
[Original Jason McElwain item from February 23, 2006]
Three Pointers, Free Throws and Zoning: The Athletic Savant
I have said all along that on this journey of discovery about savants I've learned as much about matters of the heart as I have about circuits in the brain. Recently across the wires and on video clips (here or search the Web for "autistic basketball player") came an amazing and dramatic story about a high-functioning autistic lad in Rochester, New York. You may have seen it. It touched the heart.
It was the last game of the season, and the last game for this young fellow as one of the 'managers' of the basketball team. The coach allowed him to suit up and with four minutes left in the game, and with four minutes left in the last season for this senior, he put him into the game. His teammates, who loved him so, passed him the ball. The first shot was an air ball. But then, like any athlete 'in the zone,' he made six straight three point shots in less than 4 minutes. The crowd went wild, even storming the floor as the buzzer sounded. His teammates carried him off on their shoulders.
You can't make movies as powerful and deeply moving as that little clip.
It also reminded me of one of the first savants I met over 40 years ago. He was severely autistic with almost no language at all. But could he make free throws! Since with free throws there is a fixed distance between the free throw line and the basket each time, conceivably if you put your feet in exactly the same place, and hold the ball in exactly the same way, and used exactly the same motion each time, since there is a fixed trajectory, the ball should go through the basket each and every time. And for this little guy it did. And, I submit, the same principle applies to shooting three pointers.
There are some reports of athletic 'savants' through the years, usually with exceptional balance or spatial skills, but they are rare in the already rare condition of savant syndrome. In these reports though exactly-the-same repetitive motions, coupled with sensitive spatial skills, are usually at the core of the athletic ability.
Any of who engage in sports, every now and then, 'zone out.' There are some days in basketball when nothing seems to go in the basket, and other days when anything you toss up goes through — "nothing but net." Fellow players might term it "unconscious." Some days no putts go in. On other days everything drops in the cup. We call that 'zoning.'.Some well known athletes 'zone' often and we can see it when it happens. They know it and we know it.
As pointed out elsewhere on this site, mathematical savants use the same unconscious, or more accurately, pre-conscious circuitry that math geniuses use. Both 'zone out', so to speak, mathematically, using such unconscious, or pre-conscious, circuitry. Could it be that when the professional player — or any of us — 'zone out' athletically, we are temporarily using certain pre-conscious circuitry that is unconsciously obsessive and repetitive, undistracted by emotion or deliberate, conscious 'trying' with its correction, then over correction, then frustration? Could it be that at those times when we 'zone' athletically, we are temporarily tapping into the more dormant and less accessible circuitry that we speak about elsewhere on this site? Is that the temporary contact with some little "Rain Man" that resides, perhaps, within us all? I think that might be the case.
But however one explains the magical four minutes in this young man's life — whatever that explanation — the moments were truly magical and fortunately were captured on camera to touch, and inspire, us all.
Update - August 10, 2006
Web Trailer for Colourfield Savant Documentary
Click on < a href="http://www.colourfield.de/expedition/-dsl.html" target="_blank">this link to open a QuickTime trailer from the Expedition ins Gehirn (Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into the Brain) documentary produced by Colourfield Productions of Dortmund, Germany. Note that this link will open in a new window and that it is a very large QuickTime video file.
Update - July 25, 2006
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"Lucky Numbers": An article about Daniel Tammet
Daniel Tammet's book about himself and his incredible abilities is now available in the UK. The title of the book is Born on a Blue Day and it is published by Hodder and Stoughton. The book, which contains a forward by Doctor Treffert, will be published in the US early next year by Free Press. There is an excellent article called "Lucky Numbers" about Daniel, and his book, in Scotland on Sunday, July 16, 2006 edition. That article can be accessed at http://living.scotsman.com/people.cfm?id=1022492006&format=print. |
Born on a Blue Day Cover
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Rain Girl: Henriett Seth F.
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Henriett Seth F. is a Hungarian Autistic Savant who is an accomplished, highly recognized, writer, poet and artist. Her book Autizmussal onmagamba zarva (Closed into myself with autism) is available in Hungarian and can be ordered via her Web site which Henriett maintains at http://sethfhenriett.shp.hu. That book was published in 2005 with the support of the Hungarian Autism Research Group and the Ministry for the National Cultural Heritage. A second book, Autiznus—Egy masik vilag (Autism—Another World) was published in 2006 in anthology New Galaxy (in Hungarian: Uj Galaxis) University of Pecs.
Henriett's Web site is maintained in Hungarian. However she provided this general translation in English for this Web site: Henriett Seth F was born in Hungary on October 27, 1980. She is an autistic savant writer, poet and artist. In 1985 Henriett had immunothrombocytopenia from which she fully recovered after treatment in Budapest. |
Henriett receiving the Gardonyi Prize
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Henriett could speak by the age of 9 months, but kept repeating that which she heard (echolalia). There was also ritualistic behavior, such as opening and locking doors, which was difficult between the ages of 3 and 6. She also did not like coarse foods so she would eat only pudding and drank only cocoa. Henriett slept little and was restless.
In 1987 all the primary schools in her town refused her admission application because of her communication problems; she also did not make eye contact. She was not put into a special school because of a Raven IQ score of 140, but instead she was placed in a music and art class. |
Nightly Nature
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At age 8 Henriett's knowledge was excellent; she knew Attila Jozseff's book of poems. She played flute at age 8 and played contrabass at the age of 10-12, and until the age of 13 she was in many concerts in the Garrison and Soliders of Club.
At age 9 she was composing poems. At the age of 10, Henriett was the winner of a short stories competition.. Hanriett's first poem was published in the periodical Lyceum Paletta in 1999 In 2000, at age 19, Henriett was the winner at the XIIth International Literature Competition in the poem category in 2000, and won first prize in the poem and novel category in the XIII International Literature Competition in 2001. Her prize winning entry, Process of Writing (In Hungarian: Az ire valas folyamata) was published in the periodical Naq Face (Uj Arc). |
Horse-with my autistic eyes
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Henriett was a student at Eszterhazy Karoly College of Psychology and Sociology but her communication and her behavior problems were such that in 2002 she was "pensioned with a diagnosis of high functioning with autism, immunthrombocytopenia, hyperthyroidism and endometreosis".
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Also in 2001, Henriett learned the Gypsy language during two months, and she had a successful language examination on Eolvos Lorand University of Budapest.
In September, 2005 Henriett was invited by Sandor Friderikusz, the famous Hungarian filmmaker, to participate in a documentary titled Freedom of Speech (Hungarian: A Szolas Szabadsaga). In this film Henriett discusses her autism and her art work. Henriett's second book, Autism—Another World, was a candidate for the Peter Zsoldos Prize of 2006, by the Alliance for Hungarian Science-Fiction literature because this second book is a short story science-fiction work. Since 2005 Henriett has also written many articles about her autistic life and art's work in the periodical Rainman (Hungarian:Esoember). At the present time Henriett is writing her next book, which is a book of poems. |
Closed into Myself with Autism
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Article on Doctor Treffert and this Web site
Madison, Wisconsin's Capitol Times newspaper has published an article about Doctor Treffert titled "Savant syndrome is doc's lifetime study." The article details how Doctor Treffert came to be interested in autistic savants and some of the things he's learned and found important in his decades of study. The article also mentions the growing popularity of this Web site, including the fact that the number of page requests per month has more than tripled in the past year.
Update - June 20, 2006
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Scientific American gets "Inside the Mind of a Savant"
The June/July 2006 issue of Scientific American MIND contains an article on Kim Peek called "Inside the Mind of a Savant." The article, by Darold A. Treffert, MD and Daniel D. Christensen, is prefaced by these words: "Kim Peek — the inspiration for Rain Man — possesses one of the most extraordinary memories every recorded. Until we can explain his abilities, we cannot pretend to understand human cognition." |
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60 Minutes Replays Rex
An expanded re-airing of the 60 Minutes program on Rex Lewis-Clack, a musical savant, is scheduled for broadcast on Sunday, June 24.
The orignial posting regarding Rex and 60 Minutes:
Rex, Derek and 60 Minutes
The 60 Minutes program on musical savants originally broadcast in October, 2003 was re-broadcast on August 1, 2004. The program focused on Rex, an 8 year old musical savant in California, and also Derek, in London, whose story is told in more detail elsewhere on this site. Both demonstrate the remarkable triad of visual loss, mental disability and musical genius that re-occurs with such striking regularity throughout the past 130 years of accounts of savant syndrome. It presents a rare triad in the already rare condition of savant syndrome. The program also focuses on methods of using music as the "conduit toward normalization" that savant skills often present, as embodied in programs in the savant academy here in the United States, and in the Soundscape program in London.
In December, 2000, David Mehnert, himself a talented Los Angeles-based amateur musician, began working with a then five-year-old boy, Rex, who demonstrates this triad most impressively. The source of Rex's visual loss is congenital optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH), one form of which is also sometimes referred to as septo-optic dysplasia. This is a cause of visual loss different from the retinopathy of prematurity (retrolental fibroplasia) so often reported in musical savants. Mr. Mehnert's work with Rex had him nominated for the 2003 Volvo for Life Awards and landed him in the top ten finalists. The award attracted the attention of 60 Minutes.
Rex is now eight years old. While his first conversations were through singing and sing-song speech, Rex has now acquired basic conversational abilities. While his musical memory is impressive and he has perfect pitch, he also improvises well on his own. Mr. Mehnert emphasizes that Rex benefited from multiple musical influences, including lessons from another piano teacher, Lynn Marzulli, and above all from the patient and tireless commitment and encouragement of his mother.
A more detailed account of this newest musical savant, and his teacher, can be found in an article in The Johnson County Sun. As a result of his work with Rex and several other very gifted musical savants, David Mehnert has established the Savant Academy in Malibu, California. The Savant Academy supports the education of people with savant syndrome including musical, linguistic, mathematical and artistic savants and will provide information about techniques proven to be effective in teaching persons with savant syndrome. It was also set up to encourage research into, and awarness of, savant syndrome. That Web site can be accessed at www.savantacademy.org.
Note that an article on the topic of "Musical Genius, Blindness and Mental Handicap" can be found here on this Web site.
Update - June 9, 2006
New Video Postings
A video excerpt from the Expedition ins Gehirn (Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into the Brain) documentary is now posted under the Matt Savage profile. It provides a superb look at a remarkable young man.
An excerpt from the Brainman documentary featuring a very interesting meeting between memory giants Kim Peek and Daniel Tammet is posted under their respective profiles.
Update - June 9, 2006
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The Blackstock Collections: Drawings of an Autistic Savant
Gregory Blackstock's intricate drawings of many of his fascinating 'collections' are available now in a book titled: Blackstock Collections: The Drawings of an Autistic Savant. The book is published in a very attractive format by Princeton Architectural Press, New York. The book contains a Foreword by Dr. Treffert, and an introduction by Karen Light-Pina of the Garde Rail Gallery. In addition to the precise drawings of Mr. Blackstock — "an anthropologist of the everyday" — the book describes as well the interesting and busy world of Mr. Blackstock including some of his additional musical and language savant skills, along with massive memory. The book is a fascinating, colorful and informative look at the work, and the world, of Gregory Blackstock. |
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Discovery Channel Canada Savant Video — Featuring Alonzo Clemons
A terrific story on savant syndrome featuring the talents of Alonzo Clemons is now available on the Discovery Channel Canada Web site (opens in a new window). The segment is particularly well done as a succinct summary of savant syndrome research and where we are heading. It uses Alonzo Clemons as an example, who you can read more about here on this site.
Update - April 19, 2006
Site Updates — Video and Kim Peek Update
There are several major updates to this site, including an update on Kim Peek, "The Real Rain Man" titled "Kim Peek's Expanding Abilities and European Travels."
We have also begun the process of adding video clips to the site under the following profiles:
Daniel Tammet: Video excerpt from the Brainman documentary
Matt Savage: Video of Matt and his Trio performing Matt's original song, Infected with Hemiola
Leslie Lemke: Concert videos from 1986 and 2003
Kim Peek: Video excerpt from Expedition ins Gehirn (Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into the Brain)
Stephen Wiltshire: Video excerpt from Expedition ins Gehirn (Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into the Brain)
Alonzo Clemons: Video excerpt from Expedition ins Gehirn (Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into the Brain)
Gilles Tréhin: Video excerpt from Expedition ins Gehirn (Beautiful Minds: A Voyage Into the Brain)
Richard Wawro: Video excerpt from With Eyes Wide Open
The videos give insight into these remarkable individuals that words simply cannot convey. Each video is three to five minutes in length and available in both high and low resolution. More videos will be added in the future.
Update - March 8, 2006
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Beautiful Minds: Voyage into the Brain
Colourfield Productions in Germany has released a three hour documentary called Expedition ins Gehirn in German, or Beautiful Minds: A Voyage into the Brain in English. The program aired on Arte television — the French-German television network on February 20, 21 and 22, 2006. It will air on ARD — German public television — in March and on 3Sat — Central Europe television (Austria, Germany, Switzerland) — in April. Plans are for later release in other countries as well including Italy, Ireland, Sweden and the United States. Savant syndrome is featured prominently throughout the three sections. |
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The concept of "genius," in contra-distinction to "savant" is explored on the program featuring persons such math-genius, and German Calculating Champion, Rudiger Gamm who can raise 56 to the power of 33 in seconds and recall over 160 decimal digits when dividing 62 by 167, for example. Studies including other geniuses past and present are included as well. In these research findings, some of the newest imaging techniques such as functional MRI, and fiber tracking, are displayed with striking 3D graphics.
Scientific Consultants were Prof. Gerhard Roth, University of Bremen, Germany, and Dr. Darold Treffert, Wisconsin Medical Society, U.S.A.
In addition to broadcasts in the countries above, plans are being made for distribution of a DVD version of the program in Europe and the United States. The film was written and produced by Petra Hofer and Freddie Rockenhaus of Colourfield Productions, Dortmund, Germany.
Additional information about the film, including a 10-minute trailer which can be viewed on-line, is located at www.colourfield.de/expedition/index.html.
Update - March 8, 2006
Extraordinary People: Understanding Savant Syndrome — A revised and expanded edition (February, 2006)
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Extraordinary People: Understanding Savant Syndrome, a book by Dr. Treffert on this condition, has just been released in an updated and expanded version by iUniverse.com publishing company. The new edition of the book includes an updated epilogue re-written to include the many research advances in the past six years since the 2000 edition, along with updates on the many persons with savant syndrome described in the earlier book, and introduction of newer persons that have come to attention since that time. The book also has been expanded to include a Frequently Asked Questions section.
This new edition of the book can be ordered directly from the publisher at www.iuniverse.com. Some pages of the book, including the introductory page that describes the new edition, and the "contents" page, can be browsed at that site. The book can also be ordered from Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble, or it can be obtained directly now from the author by inquiry to savants@charter.net. |
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The Case of the "Sudden" Savant
Savant syndrome, whether associated with autistic disorder or other developmental disability, most often is present from birth and surfaces during early childhood. However recently more instances of "acquired" savant syndrome have been reported in which savant-like abilities emerge, sometimes at a prodigious level, following CNS injury or disease in later childhood or even adult life in previously non-disabled persons. I recently received an e-mail that describes what might be called the "Sudden" savant-an otherwise normal person who suddenly and unexpectedly acquires savant-like abilities. I share this "eureka" experience in detail in the articles section to see if this report triggers similar instances.
Update - February 22, 2006
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New Kim Peek Documentary to air in UK
Click on the poster to the right to open a larger image in a new window. The Real Rain Man "He's becoming a living Google..." The program will air Monday, February 27, 2006 at 9 p.m. |
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Optic Nerve Hypoplasia: A Helpful Resource
As pointed out elsewhere on this site, Optic Nerve Hypoplasia (ONH) is a leading cause of visual impairment and blindness in children, and seems to be increasing in frequency. Some of these children and adults are musically gifted, sometimes at a prodigous level, as a part of the visual impairment/musical genius/mental disability triad so conspicuously present throughout the history of savant syndrome.
There is a new resource for families and professionals regarding ONH to provide "in depth information, support, consultation and advocacy for children and youth with OHN, their families and professionals who work with them." The resource is ONH Consulting, which maintains a Web site at www.onhconsulting.com. ONH Consulting was created by Christopher Sabine, a master's degree Social 'worker who himself has ONH. The Web site provides a great deal of useful information about ONH, and provides links to many relevant organizations about the condition and resources for accessing available services.
Update - January 25, 2006
Brainman & The Real Rainman
The Focus Production television program "Brainman/The Boy with the Incredible Brain" — the story of Daniel Tammet — was named "The Best Network Feature of the Year" by the Royal Television Society of the U.K. in December, 2005. When aired on Five TV in England this program obtained the highest ever viewing figures for a factual documentary. The program has aired a number of times in the United States on the Discovery Channel, as well, and is also available now on DVD directly from Focus Productions.
Focus Productions has two more 'extraordinary people' programs in production. "The Real Rainman" — the Kim Peek story — should air sometime this Spring. A program titled "The Piano Player", about several musical savants, is also in production currently. Both these programs should air on Discovery Channel as well after release in the U.K.
The DVD "Brainman" is still available for sale to persons in the United States at a cost of $25 U.S. Dollars plus $5 U.S. Dollars for postage and handling. Inquiries for purchase should be directed to Martin Weitz, producer of the film at Focus Productions, Bristol, England. Mr. Weitz can be reached by e-mail at martinweitz@focusproductions.co.uk.
Update - January 4, 2006
An Overview Article
New to this site is an overview, synopsis article on savant syndrome by Dr. Treffert. The article abstract is listed in the left side menu of the Web site now and can also be read by clicking <here. The abstract links to either a Web page or Adobe Acrobat version of the full article. In addition to providing a concise summary of savant syndrome — past, present, future — the article also provides a contemporary bibliography. As new research findings and other advances surface, they will be incorporated into the overview article, and the bibliography will be likewise expanded.
Update - January 4, 2006
Voyage into the Brain — A Preview
Colourfield Productions, based in Germany, has recently completed three, one hour programs titled "Voyage into the Brain." The programs will explore memory, creativity and other topics using the perspective of savant syndrome as an important aspect of each topic. The programs will be aired in Germany, France and other European countries initially, with broadcast in the United States and other countries as well over time. A 10-minute introductory trailer is available for viewing at http://213.198.73.194/brain/brain.mov (large file with long download time). As broadcast schedules for the entire programs are announced, there will be an attempt to post those on this site.
Update - December 22, 2005
More About Blind Tom
Elsewhere on this site there is information about Thomas Wiggins, more often referred to as Blind Tom. A Web site at www.twainquotes.com/archangels.html provides additional background information. But of special interest is that on that site one can listen to several of Blind Tom's original compositions directly. The one song — "Battle of Manassas" — is a Blind Tom 'classic' with very intricate, and effective passages depicting that battle. The other pieces are more soothing, but equally as remarkable.
Update - December 12, 2005
The Observer article on Kim Peek
Robin McKie, science editor at The Observer, has written an interesting article on Kim Peek and Savant Syndrome, inspired by the December 2005 Scientific American feature article.
Update - November 22, 2005
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Inside the Mind of a Savant
The December 2005 issue of Scientific American has a feature article — "Inside the Mind of a Savant" — about Kim Peek and his remarkable memory capacity and skills. The article, by Drs. Darold Treffert and Dan Christensen, documents some of Kim Peek's incredible memory-related abilities contrasted with imaging findings that include, for example, an absent corpus callosum. It also describes a surprising newly emerging skill in Kim — piano playing — which now meshes in some intriguing performance ways with his massive, encyclopedic repertoire of factual knowledge about music, composers and compositions. |
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Update - October 18, 2005
Rex and a Return to 60 Minutes
The progress of Rex Lewis-Clack, a musical savant now age 10, will be documented in a 60 Minute follow-up piece on him scheduled for broadcast on Sunday, October 23.
The orignial posting regarding Rex and 60 Minutes:
Rex, Derek and 60 Minutes
The 60 Minutes program on musical savants originally broadcast in October, 2003 was re-broadcast on August 1, 2004. The program focused on Rex, an 8 year old musical savant in California, and also Derek, in London, whose story is told in more detail elsewhere on this site. Both demonstrate the remarkable triad of visual loss, mental disability and musical genius that re-occurs with such striking regularity throughout the past 130 years of accounts of savant syndrome. It presents a rare triad in the already rare condition of savant syndrome. The program also focuses on methods of using music as the "conduit toward normalization" that savant skills often present, as embodied in programs in the savant academy here in the United States, and in the Soundscape program in London.
In December, 2000, David Mehnert, himself a talented Los Angeles-based amateur musician, began working with a then five-year-old boy, Rex, who demonstrates this triad most impressively. The source of Rex's visual loss is congenital optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH), one form of which is also sometimes referred to as septo-optic dysplasia. This is a cause of visual loss different from the retinopathy of prematurity (retrolental fibroplasia) so often reported in musical savants. Mr. Mehnert's work with Rex had him nominated for the 2003 Volvo for Life Awards and landed him in the top ten finalists. The award attracted the attention of 60 Minutes.
Rex is now eight years old. While his first conversations were through singing and sing-song speech, Rex has now acquired basic conversational abilities. While his musical memory is impressive and he has perfect pitch, he also improvises well on his own. Mr. Mehnert emphasizes that Rex benefited from multiple musical influences, including lessons from another piano teacher, Lynn Marzulli, and above all from the patient and tireless commitment and encouragement of his mother.
A more detailed account of this newest musical savant, and his teacher, can be found in an article in The Johnson County Sun. As a result of his work with Rex and several other very gifted musical savants, David Mehnert has established the Savant Academy in Malibu, California. The Savant Academy supports the education of people with savant syndrome including musical, linguistic, mathematical and artistic savants and will provide information about techniques proven to be effective in teaching persons with savant syndrome. It was also set up to encourage research into, and awarness of, savant syndrome. That Web site can be accessed at www.savantacademy.org.
Note that an article on the topic of "Musical Genius, Blindness and Mental Handicap" can be found here on this Web site.
Update - September 30, 2005
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"Some Kind of Genius" — The Tony DeBlois Story
Some Kind of Genius — a book about "the extraordinary journey of musical savant Tony DeBlois" — will be released by Rodale Press on October 7. It is written by Janice DeBlois, Tony's mother, and Antonia Felix. The book is the Tony DeBlois story, whose profile appears elsewhere on this site. Tony is a prodigious musical savant, particularly skilled in jazz and improvisation. He graduated with honors from the Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1996 which is an interesting story in itself. Tony plays 20 instruments and presently has six CD's to his credit. The most recent CD has the same title as the book. A movie — Journey to the Heart — was broadcast as an CBS Movie of the Week in 1997. There is more information about Tony, his CDs and the book at www.tonydeblois.com. |
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Overall the book demonstrates dramatically what can happen with a focus on a-bility rather than dis-ability on the part of parents, teachers and others. It also provides a roadmap of love, and advocacy, for parents of children with disabilities through Janice DeBlois's example. About the book Dr. Treffert states: "in my search to better understand savant syndrome, it is from persons like Tony and his mom that I've learned as much about matters of the heart as I have about the workings of the mind." This book is about both.
Update - August 4, 2005
Incidence, Prevalence and Origin of Autistic Disorder
Discussions and observations continue about the incidence, prevalence and origin of autistic disorder. It was Dr. J. Langdon Down who first described savant syndrome when he presented ten cases of this remarkable phenomenon that he had seen in his 30 years of clinical practice. He presented those cases as part of the Lettsomian Lectures to Medical Society in London in 1887. It was during those lectures he also shared his observations about what has come to be known as Down's Syndrome. Interestingly, in those same lectures, Dr. Down singled out a group of patients that did not fit the usual patterns of mental retardation, a group he called "Developmental" in origin. This posting on Science Daily addresses those rather astute observations. There is also a more detailed posting about those observations elsewhere on this site.
Update - July 13, 2005
Musical Hallucinations: A built-in IPod?
There have been a number of cases in the past where persons with temporal lobe epilepsy, or brain lesions from infection (encephalitis or Lyme disease), stroke or tumor have "musical hallucinations" as a part of those disorders. One report describes a 57-year-old patient with a dorsal pons abscess and summarizes 10 other such cases where music ranged from French chansons, to Mozart to Glenn Miller. Such a phenomenon has also been reported as a form of tinnitus. These circumstances are separate from musical hallucinations that can be present in certain forms of major mental illness in that these 'hallucinations' occur in the absence of such major mental illness. They also are different from the 'song stuck in the head' that most normal persons experience from time to time. These "hallucinations" are intrusive, vivid and unstoppable, and, like a continuing neuropathy (or tinnitus) in some persons, can be quite intractable to treatment.
A 2004 article in the Sunday Telegraph Magazine describes this "I can't get it out my head" phenomenon in some detail and outlines some of the theories and research underway at that time to better explain the phenomenon, and link it to 'normal' processing of music.
A 2005 New York Times article expands on that topic with a "Neuron Network Goes Awry, and Brain Becomes and IPod" headline. That article then describes some of the work that Dr. Victor Aziz, a psychiatrist in Wales, and colleagues have been doing with some 30 cases seen over the past 15 years in South Wales. In one-third of the cases these persons were deaf or hard of hearing and the phenomenon seemed to accompany the hearing loss. The average age of the sample was 78 years old. The article also describes some of the recent PET studies and fMRI studies on these persons to better understand this process, and better understand musical processing in the brain overall.
What does this have to do with savant syndrome? Three things. First, a report in December, 2000 from an article in Neurology, a journal of the American Academy of Neurology, found that two patients who developed fronto-temporal dementia also developed something else that was new: an appreciation for music they previously disliked. (link to related news release) One 68-year-old patient began to listen at full volume to a popular Italian pop band, in preference to his former love of classical music. He had formerly described the pop music as "mere noise." Another 73-year-old patient developed an interest in music "where she had barely tolerated easy-listening tunes before, and began sharing her 11-year-old granddaughter's interest in pop music." This new 'change' in musical tastes is very similar to the development of new musical skills in Miller's FTD patients (acquired savants) reported further down on this page who had demonstrated left anterior temporal lobe dysfunction from the FTD process.
Second, Dr. Geovanni Frisoni, who reported these cases gave one interesting, and pertinent, possible explanation for this phenomenon. He speculated that the change in musical tastes could be linked to a change in one's attitude toward novelty: "To people over age 60, pop music is considered novel. Previous studies have suggested that novelty is managed by the brain's right frontal lobe, and a predominance of the right over the left frontal lobe might lead to novelty seeking. These speculations fit with much of the left brain/right brain specialization described throughout this site with respect to savant syndrome. (link to related news release)
Third, throughout this site also is speculation about musical, math and language 'modules' in the brain, and their role in producing savant syndrome in some persons. The recent New York Times article indicates that the work by Dr. Aziz and colleagues "support recent work by neuroscientists indicating our brains use special networks of neurons to perceive music." After initial processing of signals in the primary auditory cortex, those sounds are then passed as signals "to other regions, which can recognize more complex features of music, like rhythm, key changes and melody." PET studies are now underway to see how brain activity during these 'hallucinations' differs from, or resembles, brain activity during 'normal' musical listening. According to some studies by Dr. Tim Griffiths, a neurologist at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne in England, the main difference is that musical hallucinations do not activate the primary auditory cortext but rather use "only the parts of the brain that are responsible for turning simple sounds into complex music." On the surface, at least, this resembles some of the early processing, or unconscious processing, Dr. Birbaumer reports in math 'experts', and savants, as described elsewhere on this site. Dr. Diana Deutsch at the University of California, San Diego is planning fMRI studies on persons who are not deaf, yet have musical hallucinations, to supplement these PET studies.
Update - June 23, 2005
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Temple Grandin: "Training the Talent"
Temple Grandin recently spoke to the Autism Society of Wisconsin at their annual conference in Green Bay. She has become a widely traveled and frequent lecturer to such groups, sharing her own remarkable story of how 'training the talent' in an autistic person allowed her to go on to get her PhD in animal science. Temple is presently an assistant professor of animal sciences at Colorado State University. Her talent and consultation as an animal science expert is sought out worldwide where her special expertise is singular, and highly valued. Temple is known for her several books on autism — her own autism — in which she articulates so clearly what it is like to be autistic. Her first book Emergence Called Autism describes that 'emergence' marvelously. Her 2000 book, Thinking in Pictures, has enjoyed wide popularity and provides insight into autistic thinking and functioning in children and adults. It provides some helpful guidelines for families, teachers and others toward better understanding and living with and working with persons with autistic spectrum disorders. Her 2005 book Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior now enjoys high popularity as well. |
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In her lecture Temple emphasized over and over again the importance of "training the talent," a phrase found frequently on this Web site as well. She provided many useful "for instances" from her own life with which the audience could easily resonate from their own experiences with autistic persons in their families or professional practices. From those "for instances" come many practical ideas for application in the home, clinic or workplace.
There were a number of other useful take-home messages in Temple Grandin's lecture as well that can only be briefly mentioned here. One was that for a field somewhat polarized these days between conventional and alternative therapies, her observations are that both are useful and rather than working at cross-purposes both should work more closely, and respectfully, together. A second message was that Autistic Spectrum Disorder represents a number of different conditions with differing causes. Therefore it is not unexpected that certain therapies work for some persons, and not for others. One size, or approach, clearly does not fit all and a variety of therapies will probably be required over the entire spectrum of these disorders. Finally, medications can be useful in some persons with autistic spectrum disorders directed at certain target symptoms, and often very low doses of these medications, rather than more typical doses, are most effective.
Overall the lecture was a very balanced approach toward better understanding and treating persons with autistic spectrum disorders. The lecture was enthusiastically and appreciatively received by the audience. "Training the talent" as a successful intervention strategy was not only described by Temple Grandin, but it is convincingly demonstrated in her own successful "emergence."
Update - May 5, 2005
Kodi Lee and KBS
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On April 21, 2005, Kodi Lee and his parents visited the Windhover Center in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin to meet Dr. Treffert for filming a portion of a documentary on Kodi by the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS). The program will be shown in Korea in Fall 2005. The family resides in the Los Angeles, California area.
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Kodi Lee is nine years old, and a remarkable musical savant. His Web site gives some background on Kodi, and also has multi-media sections illustrating his musical skills. Kodi has optic nerve hypoplasia as the source of his visual impairment, and at age 4 was given a diagnosis of autistic disorder as well. From infancy on, Kodi has been fascinated with rhythm and that fascination permeates his music today as he often taps his feet in rhythm with the music — like a tap dancer — as he plays and sings. His repertoire is extensive and includes classical and contemporary music and styles. Kodi began his public appearances only a year or so ago, and enjoys the audience receptivity and interaction. As with other savants, his musical skills have helped to improve his socialization and language skills.
Kodi recently released his own CD which is now available through his Web site. |
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Perfect Pitch, Music Therapy and the Savant
Perfect pitch, or absolute pitch, is the ability to name a note played on a piano or other instrument, or many other sound sources, and instantly name it as F-sharp, or B-flat, for example. While quite rare in the general population, among persons with special needs (and especially among musical savants) it is a very common characteristic and is almost universally present in prodigious musical savants. Beyond its research significance in that regard, perfect pitch has many practical and important implications for dealing with, and teaching, savants with that unusual ability. Susan Rancer, a registered music therapist, has written a very useful and practical guide for music teachers, music therapists and parents when dealing with this special population. |
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The booklet is titled Perfect Pitch & Relative Pitch / How to identify and test for the phenomena: A guide for music teachers, music therapists and parents. It is available from Ms. Rancer through her Web site at www.susanrancer.com. Her site gives further practical advice for teachers, therapists and parents based on her many years of experience with special needs students, provides some case examples, and furnishes links to other sources of such information.
There is more information about perfect pitch, and useful teaching approaches, in a separate posting in the articles section of this Web site and on the Savant Academy Web site at www.savantacademy.org.
Update
A Savant Documentary from Taiwan
More savants continue to come to attention from around the world through World Wide Web connections. Three savants are described in a new documentary from the National Changhua University of Education in Taiwan. One is a musician, also visually impaired, with musical skills "close to professional standard" on piano with additional violin, flute and drum skills as well. A second has calendar calculating ability, exceptional memory and a 'peculiar interest in the sounds of passing trains, and is able to tell each train's number of cars just listening.' A third is a woman who was left blind, mute and paralyzed by carbon monoxide poisoning but "later taught her will by swaying her head ... learned Morse code and a similar code in Chinese to communicate with the outside world." Using this system of communication she has created more than 200 poems, some of which have been published.
The documentary was financed by the National Science Council in Taiwan. The project is described in summary fashion at this link.
It is interesting, but not unexpected, that new cases, no matter which area of the world they come from, continue to fall within the same general repertoire of skills such as music, art, or calendar calculating, always combined with exceptional memory. Likewise the triad of musical genius, developmental disability and visual impairment continues to be reported in new cases coming to attention such as the one case in this documentary.
Update
Brainman—An Explanation and a Documentary
Further down in this What's New section there is information about Daniel Tammet and his setting a European record for the computation of Pi (some 22,500 digits). Daniel's remarkable mathematical skills and visual imagery abilities occurred after an episode of childhood epilepsy. What is especially interesting about Daniel is his ability to describe how he carries out his extraordinary skills in his mind, which provides a rare and exceptional insight into savant abilities. He also speaks seven languages and is now devising his own language.
There was an excellent article about Daniel in Guardian Unlimited on February 12, 2005. Also, a London production company has done a documentary on Daniel titled Brainman. It was broadcast on February 24 and February 25, 2005 on the Discovery Science Channels.
Daniel was a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman, which aired on April 27, 2005.
Update
George Widener, a Multiply Gifted Savant
George Widener is a multiply gifted savant, with skills in the domains of calendar calculating, art and memory. Born in 1962, he was eventually correctly identified as having Asperger's syndrome in his thirties, as is sometimes the case with higher-functioning persons.
George maintains his own Web site at www.savantartist.com.
Progress has been made in George's life by emphasizing his strengths rather than trying to 'correct' his weaknesses. All of his life George has made various drawings and has had numbers in his head so this is what he focuses on today. He is a lighting calculator with a seemingly unlimited range. He uses this skill to tell people how many days, minutes and sometimes seconds old they will be on their next birthday. He also has instant recall of thousands of historical facts and U. S. Census figures.
George's talented draughtmanship provided a wide range of technical abilities advancing from literal memory works to original, expressive creations as can be seen on his Web site. His Web site details his unique ability to blend calendar dates with magic squares, creating what he calls a "Magic Time" square, and what he calls magic calendar portraits of some famous persons combining that persons life facts and dates. The background of this original talent and art are more fully explained, and illustrated, on his Web site.
Additional Information on Ping Lian — "A Stroke of Genius"
One of the objectives of this savant Web site is to learn about persons with savant syndrome in other parts of the world, including all of Asia, through use of the World Wide Web. One such person — Ping Lian of Malaysia — came to our attention in just that way and his story has been posted in the profiles section.
Two recent newspaper articles about him and savant syndrome were recently published in his country and can be accessed at:
http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2005/2/10062445.html
http://metro.thestar.com.my/news/2005/2/10062425.html
Those articles provide more background about Ping Lian, his remarkable art, and his also remarkable family.
Matt Savage Update
Matt Savage continues to astound audiences here and abroad. He performed for the Annual Meeting of the Million Dollar Round Table and there is a one-song video clip on Matt's Web site at www.savagerecords.com. There are also many photos from that performance posted on Matt's site.
In May, Matt's first commissioned full jazz band piece, "Shaker Swing," will be performed in Shaker Heights, Ohio. It was written for a 19-piece jazz band, although, according to his mother "Matt added a 20th instrument (a zither part) as a joke. Don't worry though, he didn't put the zither part in the real conductor's score."
Matt has upcoming concerts in Florida, Curacao, Massachusetts, Kansas City and Birdland in New York City.
By the way, Matt is now 12 years old.
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Ping Lian Yeak: An Amazing 11 Year Old Artist
I was delighted to learn about Ping Lian through the worldwide savant syndrome Web site which brought his remarkable work, and his dedicated family, to my attention. Ping Lian's artwork stands on its own demonstrating a remarkable artistic ability in an 11-year-old boy. His drawings are colorful, cheerful and impressive. Those drawings take on an added significance, however, when one sees that such a-bility co-exists with a dis-ability as described by his mother and teachers. Savant Syndrome is a rare condition in which remarkable skills and abilities — islands of genius — are seen in striking contrast to limitations from a variety of circumstances such as autism or other developmental disabilities. Such artistic prowess as Ping Lian demonstrates, in addition to providing us with beautiful art, serves as a source of satisfaction, development and growth for him, helping eventually to minimize whatever limitations might spring from his disabilities. Standing behind and beside each of the savants I have worked with as well, however, is a dedicated, patient, loving, determined and perpetually optimistic family which appreciates the special gift within their child, and wish to share it more widely with world. Thus we all become, then, the beneficiaries of that special giftedness, and that determination and optimism, while the artist himself continues to grow and flourish. |
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More evidence of right hemisphere preference/compensation in autistic persons
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and California State University report in the February issue of Neuroimaging that when given working memory tasks, fMRI imaging studies show that although there was comparable performance between normal controls and high functioning autistic individuals, the control group showed more activation in the left than the right parietal regions, and tended to use verbal codes to perform the task, while high-functioning autistic persons showed more right lateralized activation in the prefrontal and parietal regions. It was felt by the researchers that the results suggested that the autistic individuals tended to use visual codes rather than verbal codes. The lead researcher on the project was H. Koshino with the Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging at Carnegie Mellon.
Other studies have shown a right hemisphere preference/activity in autistic persons compared to control subject on imaging studies. This adds to the body of evidence for left hemisphere dysfunction in autistic persons. Approximately one in ten persons with autistic disorder have savant abilities at some level compared to other developmental or other CNS disorders, and, as pointed out in other studies and findings, savant syndrome tends to be associated with this same left hemisphere dysfunction/right hemisphere preference/compensation in many instances.
Full article reference: Koshino, H, Carpenter, PA, Minshew NJ et al "Functional connectivity in an MRI Memory Task in High-Functioning Autism. Neuroimage. 2005 Feb 1;24(3): 810-21 Epub 2004 Nov 24.
TMS, Neurological Disorders and Savant Syndrome
Transmagnetic Cranial Stimulation (TMS), sometimes referred to as rTMS, is an accepted research and treatment tool in certain CNS disorders. TMS (referred to in several other postings on this Web site) has been used by some researchers to temporarily disable portions of the left hemisphere in normal volunteer subjects to see if savant-like abilities surface, presumably from still intact right hemisphere activity. Such studies are underway in Australia.
A team at the University of London has been exploring an adapted version of TMS as a possible treatment for Parkinson's disease or stroke patients "to help speed their recovery" by stimulating the damaged areas. In a news item describing this effort there is an interesting observation on the part of the research team that interfaces with some of the speculation about rTMS and its possible role in better understanding savant syndrome. Instead of stimulating the damaged area, the authors state "Alternatively, it may be that, in some patients, the 'healthy' side of the brain interferes with recovery by the damaged side, so that another approach would be to reduce its activity and stop it from competing for control." This is stating somewhat differently what some other researchers call the "tyranny of the left hemisphere" in trying to better understand cerebral dominance and its role in the production of savant syndrome.
While no over-arching theory can explain all cases of savant syndrome, increasingly evidence supports left hemisphere dysfunction with right brain compensation as an important dynamic in many cases. But it may be that rather than right brain 'compensation' as we usually think of that process, the 'compensation' is in part rather a lessening of left hemisphere dominance typically operative in all of us. If that is the case, then right brain skills, characteristically those in savant syndrome, might be expected to surface more rapidly than a longer compensatory process might require.
In any case, it is interesting to see this observation rising from studies and observations entirely independent from savant syndrome research, yet be consistent with some speculation about the savant syndrome process and causation.
The Incidence and Prevalence of Autism
Debate continues as to whether the reported increase in the incidence (and prevalence) of autism is due to an actual increase in the number of cases, or is instead manifestation of increased awareness, changes in diagnostic criteria and the availability of services leading to identification of previously unrecognized autistic disorder cases. A study from the Mayo Clinic published in the January issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine addresses that question.
Dr. William Barbaresi, a Mayo Clinic Developmental Pediatrician and his co-workers set out to determine the incidence of autism among children in Olmstead County, Minnesota. That county, through the Rochester Epidemiology Project, has all inpatient and outpatient diagnoses indexed for computer retrieval. In 1980-83 the incidence of research-based DSM-IV diagnoses of autistic disorder was 5.5 per 100,000 children. By 1995-97 the incidence using those same strict criteria was 44.9 per 100,000, a four-fold increase. While such an increase did occur, the authors note that was after the "introduction of broader, more precise diagnostic criteria, increased availability of services, and increased awareness of autism." They conclude "Although it is possible that unidentified environmental factors have contributed to an increase in autism, the timing of the increase suggests that it may be due to improved awareness, changes in diagnostic criteria and availability of services, leading to identification of previously unrecognized young children with autism.
This study focused on incidence—rate of new cases over a period of time. Generally however studies report prevalence—rate of all cases in a specific population at any one time. In this study the prevalence of autistic disorder would be 29.0 cases per 10,000 children based on 1997 data. Other Minnesota studies showed an increase in prevalence from 3 per 10,000 in 1991-92 to 52 per 10,000 in 1991-92, however this figure was based on children receiving special education services without ascertaining the prevalence of autistic disorder among all children in the state.
Whether incidence or prevalence, however, both appeared to have escalated between 1976 and 1997. This particular study focused primarily on incidence. The Journal reference for the full article is Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005 Jan; 159(1):37-44.
The research is described as well in a Medical News Today article. That article quotes Dr. Barbaresi noting that "this study is the first to measure the incidence — the occurrence of new cases — by applying consistent, contemporary criteria for autism to a specific population over a long period of time." A contributing factor to the increased incidence was more precise diagnosis introduced in 1987. Prior to that time, according to the Medical News Report, "children with autism may have been given less precise diagnoses such as 'developmental delay' or 'mental retardation' and children with milder forms of autism may not have been identified at all."
Dr. Down and the Dawn of Developmental Disorders
Dr. J. Langdon Down, best known for having described Down's Syndrome, also gave the first major description of savant syndrome in 1887 when he gave a lecture to the London Medical Society documenting ten cases of persons with mental "dis-abilities" who had striking "a-bilities" which stood in such stark and jarring contrast. Dr. Down's ten cases of musical, artistic, and numbers ability, coupled with phenomenal memory, have been mirrored repeatedly in the 117 years since that early, astute and accurate description.
But buried in that lecture as well are some other astute and before-its-time observations regarding instances of what we would now probably call autistic disorder, both early-onset and late-onset type. While Dr. Down did not call these special cases "autistic disorder," he did apply the term 'developmental' to them, and even made commentary regarding head shape and developmental disorders, a finding being explored now a century later.
In this early description of cases "impossible to include" in the usual forms of mental retardation Down uses terms such as "living in a world of their own"; "referring to himself in the third person"; "lessened responsiveness"; "lost speech"; "self-contained and self-absorbed caring not to be entertained other than his own dream-land and automatic and rhythmical movements." Those descriptions are so applicable to what we now call Autistic Disorder.
With all the emphasis on the 'explosion' in autism cases, whether apparent or real, these days it is useful to revisit Dr. Down's writings a century later to realize autism is not a new disorder, and the late on-set form of autistic disorder existed even in his day 100 years before present controversies as to what might be responsible for this late onset phenomenon.
Dr. Down's remarkable observations are recounted, and summarized, in the articles section of this Web site.
From Imaging to Imagery
In recent years there has been a fascination with neuroimaging, especially functional imaging (fMRI, PET, SPECT) where one can witness the brain at work, rather than just outline brain architecture. As spectacular as the images are that come from such new techniques, the real challenge is in transferring knowledge to practical application in treatment and recovery from CNS catastrophes. As such, interest is shifting from improving brain images to the possibility of harnessing brain imagery to either directly influence some special, helping devices, or to assist in brain rewiring and developing new brain circuitry to reroute around damaged pathways.
In the past "thought control" was generally applied to the possibility of using some sort of technology to influence internal thoughts from outside. That's a rather frightening prospect and many novels and movies have been made about that problematic scenario. But "thought control" in the other direction — using thoughts in the brain to control some outside technology — is a much more pleasant and promising prospect. Two efforts in Wisconsin address the latter.
In a headline "Think, shoot, score!" a December 5, 2004 article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel describes the work of a researcher at the UW Functional Neurosurgery Department. Two patients, using electrodes implanted prior to neurosurgery, were able "to control a computer cursor and play basic video games just by thinking about it." In these cases, wires from electrodes were plugged into a computer and the patients took several weeks "to master their ability to control the cursor with their thoughts. By thoughts alone, one patient quickly learned a modified version of Pong and he was able to play it just as well as having a joystick in his hand." Both patients had electrodes implanted temporarily prior to neurosurgery for several conditions. Obviously, the objective of this research would be to develop a less obtrusive method of capturing "thoughts," such as a cap covered with very sensitive EEG electrodes. The practical application would be to bypass the spinal column by harnessing electrical impulses to restore movement to disabled limbs in certain types of paralysis. All of this applied, non-intrusive technology is some years away, but procedures that allow a quadriplegic person, for example, to be more fully functional just by "thinking about it" have already been successfully carried out with electrode implantation. Everyone has a fantasy about switching the TV channel, or turning off the light switch by someday just thinking about it. Who knows?
An article in the Journal Sentinel on December 8, 2004 titled "Device may be new pathway to the brain" describes a quite different approach to modifying brain function in certain disorders. In this instance, a device helps people with severe balance problems by routing impulses triggered by electrodes attached to the tongue to the area of the brain associated with vision. Technically the device, also from UW-Madison and named BrainPort, is a "proprietary electrotactile human-machine interface platform." For reasons not understood, after using the device for a short time, persons who are disabled by severe balance problems, can navigate quite normally for 5-6 hours. BrainPort uses a plastic device with 144 electrodes on the tongue, connected to a rigged helmet that measures head movement tilting right, left, forward or backward. The patient senses his balance through a series of 'buzzes' on the tongue. While the device does not cure the balance problem, it produces considerable improvement. This same technology is being explored in other studies to help visually impaired persons "view" elements of the world otherwise not available to them. Mitch Tyler, a biomedical engineer at the University of Wisconsin said it this way: "The brain is flexible and adaptable. We are adding an additional pathway to allow it to function and explore its environment."
While these studies are not directly related to savant syndrome in any manner, they do point up the plasticity, and compensatory possibilities, of the central nervous system, which is an important issue in savant syndrome, particularly in the case of the acquired savant. They also point out that the search for practical, less-intrusive procedures to assist recovery and rehabilitation in a variety of CNS disorders using newer imagery technology is underway.
Left-Brain/Right-Brain Differences in Autism
Why is savant syndrome seen so much more frequently in autistic disorder than in other Developmental Disabilities or other CNS disorders? Part of the answer to that question may lie in the fact that recent research findings continue to document that autistic disorder and savant syndrome both share left hemisphere dysfunction, and right hemisphere preference. A recent study adds more evidence, in support of prior studies, documenting left hemisphere dysfunction and right hemisphere compensation, or preference, in autistic disorder.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon's Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging and the University of Pittsburgh found that, compared to control subjects, the individuals with autism, when presented with certain alphabet letter tasks, showed more activation in the right hemisphere of the brain than the left. Reports on that research point out that "the left hemisphere is usually associated with processing verbal information and the right hemisphere is associated with visual and spatial information processing. Since letters can be interpreted as verbal codes (letter names) or visual codes (letter shapes), the different uses of two hemispheres seem to correspond to a difference in strategies: The autism group likely remembered letters by their shape, while the control group remembered letter names." (click here for more)
In short, persons with autism in this study showed right hemisphere preference, and presumably left hemisphere dysfunction, for certain tasks compared to control subjects. Savant skills are also predominantly right brain abilities, including visual and spatial information, with generally impaired verbal (left hemisphere) function. Since both autistic disorder and savant syndrome share the same right hemisphere preference, it would not be an unexpected finding that savant syndrome is more common in autistic disorders than other CNS or Developmental Disability Disorders. While no single over-arching theory can explain all savants, increasingly left hemisphere dysfunction with compensatory right hemisphere preference appears to be frequently implicated as a causative mechanism as pointed out in a number of other postings on this site.
Different for decades — Adults with Asperger Syndrome strive to fit in
November 14, 2004 article by Kathleen O'Brien of the Star Ledger on NJ.com. Click here to open it in a new window.
Losing the Training Wheels: Adapted Bikes as a Therapy Tool
There is a new very informative and useful Web site on using specially tailored bicycles to teach persons with disabilities how to become successful bike riders, and, in so doing, to be able to join other youngsters in this very popular and normal part of growing up. The newly established Web site at www.losethetrainingwheels.org presents useful information for parents and professionals on the availability of existing camps for adapted bike training, and how to establish such camps where none exist now.
While bike riding is a rite of passage and an accepted societal norm for adolescents, a number of children with cognitive as well as physical disabilities aren't able to master bike riding other than by continued use of awkward training wheels and possibly other trike and four-wheeler adaptations. Richard Klein, a retired University of Illinois mechanical engineering professor, has devised a systematic program providing the opportunity for children with a wide array of disabilities to master conventional two-wheeler bike riding.
Klein uses special adapted bikes which are slow in forward speed and slow in falling to enable children to become comfortable and to learn the nuances of bike riding. As children develop and encode proper steering responses, the bikes can be refitted to be more like conventional bikes. He replaces conventional tires with wide, but crowned rollers. Unlike bikes fitted with training wheels, the roller equipped trainers will tip gently in response to rider manipulations. The therapy is delivered in a camp or clinic format, thus working with a group of youngsters typically lasts normally one week.
Large numbers of children (typically about 80 percent who participate in the program), are able to master bike riding and are thus able to shed those humiliating training wheels and cumbersome adapted trikes. The therapy is effective for children with a wide range of disabilities such as autism, Asperger's syndrome, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, fetal drug syndrome, Prader Willi syndrome, obesity, and visual disorders. These children learn to ride bikes, typically, within a few days of therapy. There are numerous benefits such as increased self-esteem, improved stamina, and peer inclusion. An article in the Utica, NY Observer-Dispatch of October 14, 2003 provides an overview; see www.uticaod.com/archive/2003/10/14/news/17451.html. The October 2002 issue of Exceptional Parent Magazine, pp. 64-66, also provides an overview.
Klein has conducted camps in a number of states including California, Delaware, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Camps or clinics are usually held in conjunction with area civic institutions or charitable organizations that provide facilities as well as volunteer instructors. Klein is presently based in the St. Louis area, although he travels extensively for the bike therapy program. Additional information about the adapted bike program can be obtained by contacting Richard Klein at r-klein@uiuc.edu.
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Leslie Lemke: A Evening Concert 2003
Leslie Lemke gave an evening concert at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center on as part of the Appleton, Wisconsin Celebrating Abilities week in October, 2003. Through the generosity of the Celebrating Abilities committee, there are a limited number of VHS video tapes available from the concert. The video — An Evening With Leslie Lemke — contains some introductory comments by Dr. Treffert and a nearly two hour performance that contains some of Leslie's favorites, a rarely seen segment with Leslie playing the melodica, and a segment responding to audience challenges and requests. Mary Parker, May Lemke's daughter with whom Leslie now lives, joins Leslie in several pieces. Tapes can be purchased by sending two checks — one for $ 18.00 made out to Miracle of Love Ministries, (which will be forwarded to Mary and Leslie) and the other for $ 5.00 made out to Dr. Treffert for mailing costs. Orders and checks should be sent to: |
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W4065 Maplewood Lane
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin 54935
"Eureka!" and "Aha!": A right brain phenomenon
Three cognitive neuroscientists from Northwestern University, and Drexel University, recently reported that areas of brain activity involved with the emergence of sudden insight—the "Aha!" or "Eureka" experience—differ from those areas involved in more traditional or straightforward problem solving. In those instances where insight or problem solutions that have been elusive suddenly appear and become obvious-sometimes even during sleep for example-there is increased brain activity in the right temporal areas, as measured by functional MRI or EEG tracings, compared to left hemisphere activity.
Student participants were given word problems to solve. In addition to solving the problem, each person reported whether the solution, when it came to them, felt like a sudden insight as opposed to a more typical more slowly emerging solution. According to the researchers, the problems were designed to evoke a distinct "Aha" moment about half the time they were solved. Functional MRI techniques showed increased activity occurred in the right anterior superior temporal gyrus during insight solutions, and no such increased activity was noted during non-insight problem solving. In addition, EEG tracings were used to record activity during insight, and non-insight solutions.
About 1/3 of a second before those solutions characterized by more sudden insight, there was a sudden burst of high frequency activity associated with the more sudden process; there was no such increase in activity in non-insight solution processes. This increased EEG activity was in the same right anterior temporal area, compared to left sided areas, as was the case with functional MRI techniques.
A Northwestern News story on the internet summarizes the study and indicates that these findings demonstrate "what is really going on in the brain when the light bulb goes on". That story can be accessed here. The paper itself appeared on-line in the April, 2004 edition of Biology, and open-access scientific journal published by the Public Library of Science.
What does this have to do with savant syndrome? The "Aha" problem solving phemomenon seems to occur at an unconscious, or pre-conscious level, and is associated with right brain, as opposed to left brain, CNS activity. Birbaumer, in work described elsewhere on this site, found evidence of such unconscious, or pre-conscious 'calculating' in 'expert' (but non-savant) math whizzes compared to non-expert math students. He named such activity Event Related Potentials (ERP') and was able to measure such activity in the expert as he did his calculations, compared to non-experts doing their calculations in the traditional manner. This unconscious, or pre-conscious processing is very reminiscent of savant syndrome lightning calculators or calendar calculators who are able to perform complex math and number tasks but have no awareness of how they do it, nor can they explain how they do it. George, for example simply says "I got a good mind. That's how I do it".
At the same time, Pesenti and his colleagues, (whose work is also described in more detail on this site) in studying a calculating prodigy (non-savant "expert") documented what appears to be right brain activity in right-sided prefrontal and medial temporal regions when this 'expert' calculator was doing his unconscious or preconscious problem solving compared to non-expert, non-prodigy calculators using more traditional methods for problem solving. This right sided activity correlates nicely with right sided CNS activity described with the "Aha" phenomenon.
These right-sided CNS findings in non-savant expert calculators using pre-conscious or unconscious reasoning, (like savants use) and the same right sided findings related to the "Aha" experience of unconscious problem solving (such as savants do) would seem to provide further evidence in support of the left brain damage/right brain compensation theory of savant syndrome etiology which is noted often in other postings on this site.
These finding would lend some credence as well to the observation that sometimes intuitive thinking, or visionary thinking, or intuition itself can constitute a savant skill, and that such a skill tends to be right hemisphere in origin, just as so many of the other savant skills such as music, art and mathematics. While no over-arching theory can explain all savants, increasingly data from studies such as this tend to support the left hemisphere damage/right hemisphere compensation phenomenon as the basic neuropathology and neuropathophysiology of savant syndrome in many, if not most, savants, and heightens interest toward better understanding savant syndrome and its relationship to prodigy, genius and day to day thought processing and problem solving within us all.
Matt Savage — A marvelous Celebrating A-bilities week
Each year the Appleton, Wisconsin community devotes an entire week to various activities highlighting A-bilities in persons with disabilities. This year the guest of honor and artist in residence was Matt Savage. He and his mother Diane spent 4 days in Appleton visiting various schools, culminating with Matt Savage in Concert at the Performing Arts Center on September 23, 2004.
It was quite a week. Matt and his mother met with elementary and high school students in two separate appearances at those schools. I had a chance to meet with some of the high school students, to talk about savant syndrome and special abilities in persons such as Matt, in the afternoon right after Matt had met with them in the morning. What enthusiasm and inspiration Matt had provided! The energized students were amazed at his abilities, and captured by his personality and ease with the audience. They particularly enjoyed the 'audience challenge' portion of the presentation where Matt would instantly improvise a piano piece to any word or subject they might suggest like a color, or an animal, or a feeling, for example.
Matt carried out that same 'audience participation' in the evening concert as well capturing instantly, musically, the meaning, tone and concept of whatever word was suggested. He served, magically almost, as his own M.C. at the concert, entirely at ease, comical at times, but eminently serious with his music. He played some pieces from his just released 6th CD — Cutting Loose — which was recorded with his Bass player and Drummer as the Matt Savage Trio. But on this night Matt played solo. He played a piece he composed for his sister's birthday, and one dedicated to his Grandpa. How he can get such mighty tones with his tiny hands is a mystery. Matt needs to literally stretch, or bend, or move on the piano bench to reach both ends of the concert grand, so much bigger than he. But he does. Impressive.
I had a chance to have lunch with Matt and his mother. He is as relaxed and engaging over lunch as he is on stage. I learned about some of his other abilities as well. He recognized Treffert as a palindrome, and proceeded to list a number of other palindromes and also told me about resources on palindromes where I could find, if I wished, the longest palindrome in the world. When told my birth date he paused for bit, silently calculating in his head, which day of the week that was — and of course he was right. It was a Sunday. I didn't realize Matt was a world authority on roller coasters and could easily identify the longest, the highest, the fastest, the whatever. He seems to prefer to study them rather than ride them, however, but he has ridden several. Matt is very bright, articulate, well rounded and engagingly pleasant. His mom, who home schools both Matt and his 9 year old sister, is justifiably proud of Matt as well she should be. She has obviously done a great job as a Mom, and as a teacher. Matt and Diane both cherish their rural lifestyle in New Hampshire. We traded orchard and gardening notes, stories, hints, tips and pearls. We are both on a learning curve in that area of endeavor, but making some fulfilling progress. Nothing like fresh fruit and vegetables right out of the garden or orchard. Matt loves fruits and vegetables.
Through the years I have had the privilege of meeting a number of persons with savant abilities, including some prodigious savants which is still a relatively rare circumstance overall. But every now and then there explodes on the scene a new 'rocket of talent' that showers us with the light of a uniquely spectacular ability in an already extraordinary condition. Matt Savage is such a rocket of talent, showering us with its light and we are its beneficiaries.
There are a number of questions about savant syndrome that continue to intrigue me even after 40 years of study. Matt answers some of those questions.
- Can savants be creative? Matt answers that question resoundingly. Indeed they can be. All you need to do is listen to his compositions and improvisations. On his most recent CD-his 6th-all the songs are his own creation.
- Can savant abilities help foster better socialization and other skills and actually help minimize other disability symptoms? Matt answers that question also with a resounding "Yes". Such special abililties are a valuable tool in what I call a 'conduit toward normalization'. It is amazing how far Matt has come from those early childhood days as captured on the 20/20 program about him some years ago. As a child he was repelled by loud sounds and music itself. What an incredible difference now in development overall. He is an extraordinarily gifted 12-year-old musician, and music has been such a vital contributor and component of his overall progress, growth and development.
- As the savant skills help in overall growth and development, and as that growth and development take place, do the special skills and gifts disappear? Here the answer, as Matt so convincingly demonstrates, is a resounding and reassuring "No". Contrary to some early reports of other children with savant skills, with Matt there has been no dreaded trade-off or loss of special abilities for overall growth and development including language and socialization skills. Quite to the contrary, the special abilities continue to flourish and become an important part of who that person is, in addition to whatever special skill or ability he or she happens to have.
- How important are the family, teachers and others in discovering, nourishing and propelling such special skills and abilities along? Matt, and his Mom and Dad, provide a convincing answer to that question as well. Family, and others as well, are vital in discovering, and providing nurture to the marvelous hidden talents and abilities that nature has provided. The unconditional love, belief, support, pride, cheerleading, tolerance, and untiring patience that the family particularly can provide are vital ingredients in the emergence of these special abilities, and such families provide a brilliant and inspirational example to all of us about the hope, optimism, belief, faith, tolerance, patience and good old fashioned hard work required bring a miracle about. Certainly what Matt can do with his special skills is important to Matt's Mom and Dad, but more important than that is who Matt is as a person. Examples such as Matt's family provide a guiding light for all of us that in caring for persons with disabilities, we need to care about them as well.
Matt and Diane's visit is one that the Appleton community will long remember.
And so will I.
— Darold A. Treffert, MD
The Neuropsychology of Talent, Intelligence and Creativity in Prodigies and Savants
Dr. M. Layne Kalbfleisch of George Mason University and Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. explores in detail the "Functional Neural Anatomy of Talent" in a recently published article in Anatomical Record (Part B: New Anat.)277B:21-36, 2004. This article examines neurobiological definitions, and recent neuropsychology findings, regarding intelligence, talent, creativity, prodigy, giftedness, savant skills and brain "plasticity", and the inter-relationships, neurobiologically speaking, between those items central to better understanding savant syndrome overall. The article focuses especially on 'talent' which is defined as "the possession and development of a skill, and the expression, of a natural aptitude in one or more domains" such as music, mathematics or athletics. How that domain-specific element relates to domain-general measured intelligence is discussed throughout the paper, including the exceptional condition of savant syndrome. The paper summarizes quite comprehensively recent advances in the neuropsychology of exceptional talent, and points out "with growing technological and methodological advances in the neurosciences, various fields working interdependently are poised to answer some of natures most complex and compelling questions regarding human cognition and its remarkable consequences." It is a good contemporary summary of the relationship between talent, intelligence and creativity in prodigies and savants.
Palaeolithic Art And Autistic Savant Syndrome
In a presentation to the Autism Europe 7th International Congress in Lisbon, Spain in November, 2003 Paul Trehin summarizes thought and research which compares very early (upper Palaelithic period), realistic art forms to that of present day gifted autistic children and adults. A number of persons have been struck by the similarity of some prehistoric cave art and that of gifted autistic artists, particularly Nadia. Trehin explores that whole topic in depth in two papers, < ahref="http://perso.wanadoo.fr/gilles.trehin.urville/palaeo_art_autistic_savant_syndr.htm" target="_blank">one specifically examining palaeolithic art and autistic savant syndrome and the other examining the possible role of savant syndrome in the mankind's historic, and pre-historic evolution. The latter paper is titled "Radical or progressive evolution? The case of "savant syndrome". Both papers make interesting reading surrounding these topics, and the fascinating speculation and implications involved.
Mr. Trehin was author of the text surrounding his son's special ability and remarkable project of the city of Urville described elsewhere in the profiles section of this site. He is Autism Europe Vice President. His paper can be accessed in French, with images, by clicking here. The e-mail address for Mr. Trehin is Trehinp@aol.com.
Infant Blindness and Musical Ability
The triad of blindness, mental handicap and musical genius is one which appears with conspicuous regularity in the savant literature over this past century, so much so that a separate posting — Musical Genius, Blindness and Mental Handicap — exists on this site along with a posting about Soundscape, a special school in London for such individuals. Comes now a Canadian study which confirms that musical/blindness link in a number of persons, and points as well to the "brain plasticity' involved in the first two years of life particularly for these individuals as a compensatory process within the brain itself. Both those observations, and confirmatory findings, are important in understanding musical savants overall. An article on the Canadian study can be found here.
A Change of Mind: Creativity Unlocked by Stroke
The magazine Nature and the BBC News both report on the interesting case of Tommy McHugh, a 54-year-old London man whose obsessive drawing, sculpting and poetry writing skills surprisingly, and unexpectedly, emerged following a subarachnoid cerebral hemorrhage in 2001 from two bleeding aneurysms.
According to these reports, Mr. McHugh had no particular prior interest in art, but now spends almost all of his time compulsively creating. Psychological testing apparently shows a "mix of abilities and disabilities", and further imaging and neuropsychological studies are underway at the University College London. Precise MRI studies are hampered by the presence of the two metal clips and coils which were used to repair the aneurysms.
A press release from the Institute of Child Health gives detailed background on Mr. McHugh before and after the stroke. About 6 months after surgery he began writing massive amounts of poetry with vast "creative urges." Soon thereafter he began pencil and felt tip drawings followed by pastel drawings. And then came some sculptures. He describes his art as "exploding" within him, and, at the same time, providing "life-saving therapy."
This instance of new-found artistic ability is reminiscent of Dr. Bruce Miller's fronto-temporal dementia (FTD) patients whose artistic or other creative abilities — not present pre-illness — emerged, sometimes at a prodigious level, as the dementia proceeded. It also provides, of course, more information for further examination of the biology of the creative process, and more evidence as well for so-called 'acquired' artistic skills following CNS incident or disease discussed on this site.
All of this fuels as well the search for the hidden potential, perhaps, that lies within us all discussed at length elsewhere on this site as well.
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The "Gifted Hands" of Alonzo Clemons
Alonzo Clemons has a newly created Web site. It is a collabortive effort between Gifted Hands, Inc., VSA Arts of Colorado and artsales.com. Gifted Hands, Inc. is now the official representative, and contact point, for information about Alonzo and his works. Alonzo continues to live and work in Boulder, Colorado where he his a vital part of that community. He continues his part-time employment at the Y.M.C.A. and has shared his weight-lifting skills in the Special Olympics competition. His incredible sculpting ability continues and flourishes. His hope is to do some more life-size figures like the Three Frolicking Foals that is so lively and spirited. More information about this new dimension to Alonzo's life, and his increased visibility, can be seen at his Web site. |
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Artism: Art by those with Autism
Artism: Art by those with Autism is a stunning collection of art by 44 individuals with autism ranging from age 4 to adult. It includes work by some of the savants on this Web site including Richard Wawro, Boone Garvey and Christophe Pillault. The collection was a joint project of Karen Simmons of Autism Today (www.autismtoday.com) and Sandra McMurray of autism arts (www.autismarts.com). The collection was compiled by Karen Simmons and was published by, and is available through, Autism Today with its headquarters in Alberta, Canada. The book is dedicated "to all the fine people who have an autism spectrum disorder and to all those who love them and encourage them. Without their wonderful energy, this book never would have been!" |
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Artism is an insightful glimpse into, and a colorful shout out from, the fascinating world of the autistic artist and autistic savant. It can be ordered through the bookstore at the Autism Today Web site at www.autismtoday.com.
New, Sophisticated Imaging Techniques
It was not too long ago when the only imaging technique to study autism and savant syndrome was the CAT scan, which was a high-resolution technique to study brain architecture. Soon after came MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) which provided even dramatically higher resolution of brain structure. Then came PET, SPECT and fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) which allow study of brain function, not just brain structure, representing a very significant research advance.
The American Society of Neuroradiologists is meeting June 5-12, 2004 in Seattle. At that meeting even newer techniques, and more importantly results from use of those techniques, will be reported. Those newer techniques include Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS), and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) sometimes referred to as Fiber Tracking. The latter is particularly interesting because first of all, it is non-invasive, and secondly it permits tracking of the actual fiber tracks anatomically as they course through the brain hemispheres rather then having to 'map' them only by inference from functional imaging while the patient performs certain tasks.
Of particular usefulness in studying autism has been magnetoencephalography (MEG). An early press release by the ASNR states the following regarding the usefulness of MEG in studying autism: "MEG is a non-invasive, high resolution technique that can detect fields so minute that it can physically image a single thought in real-time. In this manner, MEG has been extremely insightful in gaining a greater understanding of how autistic children process sounds (only in the left hemisphere as opposed to both) and other aspects of language impairments, traditionally associated with autism. Together with MR imaging and functional MRI, it provides a picture of how brain functions are organized in individuals with autism."
This should be an exciting, insightful, time ahead as the alphabet soup of neuroimaging techniques provides an ever greater repertoire of tools to study the brain at work in illnesses such as autism, in special circumstances such as savant syndrome, and indeed, in day to day functioning within us all.
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Septo-Optic Dysplasia, and Savant Syndrome
A recent issue of Eye Contact, a publication of the Royal National Institute of the Blind in London, devotes the entire issue to Septo-Optic Dysplasia (SOD), sometimes referred to as Optic Nerve Hypoplasia or DeMorsier's Syndrome. As described elsewhere on this site, musical talent, sometimes at a prodigious level, occurs with some interesting regularity in SOD, as does autism itself. Dr. Adam Ockelford of Soundscape has an article in this issue entitled "Music and Children with SOD" which is repeated here in its entirety (requires Adobe). Other articles in this particular issue include an excellent summary of professional and parental issues entitled: "Septo-optic dysplasia and your child: a parent's and professional's view" and an entire section on "Parent's perspectives." Inquires about this special issue of Eye Contact, and its availability, can be obtained by contacting Adam Ockelford at aockelford@rnib.org.uk. |
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Left Brain Damage and the Immune System
Increasingly evidence supports left hemisphere brain damage as being a critical etiological factor in some instances of savant syndrome as explained in articles elsewhere on this site. There is also considerable evidence of left hemisphere brain damage and dysfunction in autism itself (and as many as one in ten persons with autism have some savant abilities). Some have postulated that autism is an immune disorder. A new study has the interesting finding that epilepsy surgery produces different effects on the immune system since damage or surgery to the left half of the brain may make a right-handed person more susceptible to being immunocompromised.
The study was published in the May 24, 2004 on-line edition of the Annals of Neurology and is summarized at this link.
While the study makes no specific reference to autism or savant syndrome, the study does pose some interesting speculation in tying together immunologic response following left hemisphere brain damage, the etiology of autism & savant syndrome, and the increased incidence of both autism and savant syndrome in males (where cerebral lateralization and neuronal damage may play a vital role).
It is a clue, at least, worthy of further exploration.
The Rising Incidence of Autism and Thimerosal: A Connection?
Because savant syndrome occurs in as high as 10% of autistic children, any findings relative to the cause or incidence of autism are pertinent to the study of savant syndrome. Two recent articles are of interest.
A USA TODAY article explores the mystery of the increased incidence of autism so widely reported. While debate continues as to how much of this increase might be due to broader definitions of autistic disorder as opposed to an actual increase, most investigators agree there does seem to be an actual increase. Why this is so is the thrust of many investigations, and much speculation, at the present time.
One of the suspected causes for the increase in the incidence of autism has been a possible link between thimerosal (a mercury-containing preservative in childhood vaccines) and the onset of autistic disorder in some children who had developed normally until immunizations were administered. The Institute of Medicine has been studying this possible link, which has generated very heated debate, for some time. On May 18, 2004 the Institute issued a report which, for the first time, concluded that scientific evidence did not support a link between vaccine ingredients and autism, and concluded that further research was not warranted. While this may not end the debate, this report from the Institute of Medicine certainly provides substantial evidence against any such link. You can review the a published report of this IOM finding at www.medscape.com/viewarticle/478197 (requires you to log in) or you can view the Executive Summary of the report at www.sarnet.org/lib/IOMExecSum.pdf (large file; requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).
News Story: "A musical savant"
Rochelle Watson has cognitive disabilities, but astonishing talent
The Saint Augustine Record — May 1, 2004
Christophe Pillault: New Savant Profile
Click here for a new Savant Profile on Christophe Pillault of Olivet, France. An autistic savant, he is unable to talk, walk or feed himself. He discovered painting, using his hands though unable to use his fingers functionally. His paintings are striking due to the imagery, fascinating, improbable, and sometimes mystic characters represented.
Matt Savage Continues to Amaze
Matt Savage has yet another area of expertise — Geography. On April 1, 2004 Matt won the National Geography Bee state competition for New Hampshire. On May 25th and 26th Matt will represent that state in the national Geography Bee Finals in Washington, D.C. That event will be hosted by Alex Trebek and will be broadcast live on the National Geographic Channel. Matt has demonstrated his prodigious musical ability as a jazz musician at many concerts and on television, and the WIRED magazine story in December, 2003 highlighted his mathematical abilities as well. Now surfaces his Geography skills. Presently Matt is home-schooled but at age 11 he is at an advanced Algebra level and is able to teach math to third graders. Updated information about Matt, including his concert schedule for the Matt Savage Trio, can be accessed at his Web site at www.savagerecords.com. The Home Page on that site provides as well more information, some pictures, and newspaper story links regarding this more recently surfaced Geography talent and skill.
An Imaging Report and Left Hemisphere Dysfunction in Savant Syndrome
For those viewers fluent in Spanish, or with access to a translation, the journal Revista De Neurologia carries an article by Dr. J. A. Munoz-Yunta and co-workers from Barcelona, Spain titled "El sidrome de savant o idiot savant." The article focuses on recent imaging studies in savants and particularly on the support for left hemisphere damage in savants that neuroimaging supplies. The English Abstract reads thus:
"Savant Syndrome is currently still very mysterious, yet, thanks to the progress made in neuroimaging studies and especially MSI (Magnetic Source Imaging) techniques, a little more is now known about it. The theory, formulated many years ago, about damage to the left hemisphere of the brain has been supported by functional neuroimaging. Its relation to developmental disorders or to autism spectrum disorders is far more justified today and can be explained on the basis of its neuropathology. We present a study based on a review of the scientific literature concerning the syndrome, from the first time is was described back in 1789 by Benjamin Rush up to the present day. We comment on its epidemiology and positive clinical manifestations, involving brilliant artistic talent and dazzling memory, but also the negative aspects suffered by these autistic patients. The most important theories are discussed together with the clinical coincidence with frontotemporal dementia and the responsibility of the right hemisphere when there are alterations in the contralateral hemisphere. The latest contribution made by Positron Emission Tomography and magnetoencephalography will be discussed and a mini-video of a personal case will be projected (REV NEUROL 2003; 36(Supl 1): S157-61."
Asperger's and High Functioning Autism: The same or different disorders?
Often Autistic Spectrum Disorders are divided into three categories: Low Functioning Autism (IQ less than 70); High Functioning Autism (IQ greater than 70); and Asperger's syndrome. Using structural MRI imaging, Lotspeich and co-workers at Stanford and other facilities, attempted to see if there were differences in total brain volume, and particularly grey matter volume, between the low functioning autism, high functioning autism and Asperger's syndrome groups. Click here for more on this story.
The TMS "Thinking Cap" and Savant Skills
The first formal published study on the use of TMS (Trans-magnetic Stimulation) to perhaps uncover latent savant skills in normal persons has now been published. Dr. Allan Snyder and co-workers at the Centre for the Mind in Sydney, Australia used TMS to suppress activity in the left fronto-temporal area of the brain of eleven male volunteers in order to measure changes in performance on tasks of drawing, and proofreading. Their paper titled "Savant-like skills exposed in normal people by suppressing the left fronto-temporal lobe" appeared recently in the Journal of Integrative Neuroscience (Volume 2, Number 2, 149-158, 2003). Click here for more on this story.
Update: Pi in the Sky (story immediately below)
Daniel Tammet was successful on March 14, 2004 in setting a new UK and European record by reciting Pi from memory, without error, to 22,514 decimal places in a time of 5 hours, 9 minutes. Read a BBC account of it here.
Pi in the Sky
The National Society for Epilepsy in London has an interesting press release announcing that a "Pi in the Sky" event will take place at the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford on March 14, 2004. On that date Daniel Tammet, whose childhood experience with epilepsy "left him with astonishing mental skills, including the ability to 'see' numbers in his head" and a prodigious memory, will use that "incredible memory to recall the mathematical constant Pi (3.141...) to over 22,500 decimal places to set and new British and European Record." The date coincides with both Pi Day and Einstein's birthday, and the event will take place in front of Einstein's blackboard.
Some background about Daniel Tammet is on the Optimnem Web site where it states "A series of seizures as a young child changed forever the way Daniel saw the world around him. For one thing, Daniel was able to literally 'see' numbers in his head, as if they were images. Not surprisingly, he quickly became proficient in number patterns, able to figure various roots, powers, even the decimal expansions for prime number fractions often quicker than a friend with a calculator.
"Unlike autistic savants, Daniel outgrew his disability. His astonishing mental skills remained. As an example, following an invitation from organizers, Daniel attended the largest ever 'World Mental Skills Championship' in London. In August, 2000, he was awarded the event's international gold medal for, among other things, the ability to memorize a string of 1,517 randomly-generated decimal digits in a single hour — backwards as well as forwards.
"Daniel was subsequently invited to London's Institute of Neurology to undergo tests for a landmark study of prodigious mental ability. The summarized data, co-written by some of Britain's leading brain scientists, appeared in the New Year 2003 edition of the highly prestigious Nature neuro-scientific magazine."
— Archive of Past "What's New?" Items —
For more information, please contact:
Darold A. Treffert, MD
St. Agnes Hospital, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry
University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison
Personal Web site: www.daroldtreffert.com
E-mail: daroldt@charter.net
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