Word Finder - savant

definition

A person of learning, especially one who is versed in literature or science.

definition

A person who is considered eminent because of their achievements.

definition

A person with significant mental disabilities who is very gifted in one area of activity, such as playing the piano or mental arithmetic.

synonyms

• idiot savant

You are a freaking savant when it comes to that.

As a child he had been "a savant in petticoats"; as a boy he was a poet in breeches.

Savant syndrome is not known to have any drawbacks, so it does not have to be treated itself.

Children with savant syndrome may be able to memorize extensive amounts of data in such areas as sports statistics, population figures, and historical or biographical data.

Actor Doug Savant is well known by soap fans for playing Matt Fielding, the only regular gay character on Melrose Place.

Daniel Tammet is a mathematical savant, writer, and educator featured in the documentary The Boy with the Incredible Brain.

There is no known way to prevent savant syndrome.

In this role, Savant played an openly gay man long before such subject matter was commonplace on prime time television.

A savant is a term that describes a person with an inherent and unlearned extraordinary skill or ability not found in the majority of the population.

Researchers looked for evidence of savant abilities in people diagnosed with autism between 1950 and 1985.

Out of the 100 replies from parents, 45 claimed that their autistic child had savant skills.

One particular skill common to those with savant syndrome is the ability to calculate what day of the week a particular date fell on or will fall on.

Savant syndrome is diagnosed when a child's ability in one area is exceptionally higher than would be expected given his or her IQ or general level of functioning.

The underlying disorders that usually accompany savant syndrome need to be treated, and it is believed that making use of the special talent of the child with savant syndrome may help treat the child's underlying developmental disorders.

The special skill associated with savant syndrome in a specific child is usually present for life.

Children with savant syndrome have a very special skill that can be nurtured.

Prior to joining the Desperate Housewives cast list, Doug Savant was most widely recognized for his groundbreaking role as Matt Fielding on Melrose Place.

Savant now plays music-loving Tom Scavo, the husband of Lynette Scavo, on Desperate Housewives.

Although he is mostly non-verbal and has significant challenges in the areas of daily skills, ?e has a savant ability in the area of music.

Savant syndrome is an extremely rare condition in which a person with a developmental or intellectual disorder like autism acquires at least one exceptional or prodigy-level skill.

Savant syndrome is not a medical diagnosis, but rather a reference to specific characteristics that are observed across all types of autism and intellectual disability.

People with a savant disorder are usually placed into one of three categories based on their level of ability and number of skills.

All instances of savant syndrome feature limited and precise abilities that are largely memory dependent and cover a diverse assortment of areas.

Kim Peek, who was the inspiration for the movie Rain Man is a prodigious savant in fifteen different skill areas.

Typically, the talented savant does not display exceptional or prodigious ability but does perform on par with someone of normal intelligence in one or more specific areas.

Examples of talented savant skills include artistic endeavors and mathematical calculations.

It's characterized by a level of competence in one or more area that is considerably higher than the savant's general functioning level.

For instance, a savant that is a fan of hockey may recall the scores of all hockey games his favorite team has ever played.

Despite several theories as to the cause of savant syndrome, not much is known about the disorder in the scientific and medical communities.

Whatever the cause, savant syndrome is not necessarily the gift it appears to be to the general population.

John Langdon Down first used the term savant when he discovered exceptional abilities in people with intellectual disabilities.

In the 19th century, savants were called idiot savants because the French terms idiot meant unlearned and savant meant skill.

In the 20th century, the term idiot also became offensive and was eventually replaced by the general term savant, or in cases of autism, autistic savant.

D., describes savantism as savant syndrome in which people with developmental or intellectual disabilities exhibit exceptional skills or a genius level ability.

An autistic savant is a person with autism who demonstrates a special skill or expertise.

Many of the savant abilities rely on memory to some degree.

For example, a savant may have ability to recall every detail of the National Football League sports statistics for the last five years.

It is unknown why some people with autism have savant skills.

His study of CT and MRI scans of patients with dementia indicated that the right brain hemisphere is capable of producing savant abilities when compensating for left hemisphere brain damage.

Some autism researchers are studying autistic savants, particularly their thought patterns and certain aspects of savant skills, in effort to learn more about autism.

One study run by Professor Simon Baron-Cohen of the Autism Research Centre (ARC) at Cambridge University is working with autistic savant Daniel Tammet to find out more about autism.

Daniel Tammet is a famous mathematic savant who set a European record for the number of digits of pi he could recite from memory.

The researchers found that about 24 out of 100 had true savant skills.

What does idiot savant mean and how does it relate to the autism spectrum of disorders?

Now obsolete in the field of mental health, "idiot savant" has been replaced with "savant", and in some cases, the term prodigious savant may be used.

The connection between idiot savant and autism isn't direct.

Savant syndrome is a separate condition and few individuals on the autism spectrum are savants.

Some resources may suggest that autistic savant has replaced the term idiot savant but this is not necessarily the case.

A person can have autism without savant characteristics and a savant may not have autism.

The article, What Is an Autistic Savant looks into the topic of savant qualities in pervasive developmental disorders.