What is “Autistic Savant Syndrome”, and Its Impact on Treatment

First things first... I find it quite disparaging to refer to anybody by a label or by a condition – such as “autistic”, “schizophrenic”, “bipolar” or as a “depressive” as opposed to “a person who has been diagnosed with autism”. A person’s condition is one small aspect of their identity, it does not define them. Actually, I feel the same way about identifying oneself by one’s profession - I really don’t like to think of myself as a “psychologist” but, rather, as a person who works as a psychologist. In any case, just wanted to point out that the title of this post is somewhat off–putting and that fact is not lost on me. It’s all too common that such phrases are used, and I think we should think twice about doing so. Okay, moving on… I feel the same way about identifying oneself by one’s profession. I really don’t like to think of myself as a psychologist but, rather, as a person who works as a psychologist. In any case, just wanted to point out that the title of this post is somewhat off-putting and that fact is not lost on me. It’s all too common that such phrases are used, and I think we should think twice about doing so. Okay, moving on…

What is This “Savant” Thing All About?

"Savant" is a term used for a person who has developmental disabilities but has an exceptional and extraordinary splinter skill. Those who saw the movie Rainman, know that character had an incredible mathematics mind and could count cards at a blackjack table or immediately cipher the number of toothpicks that fell on the floor. There are estimates that about 10% of people with autism have Savant abilities and about half of people with Savant Syndrome have autism. These exceptional skills can include musical talent, calculation, artistic ability, spatial ability, memory skills, and mechanical aptitude.

Famous Examples of Savant Syndrome

There are some extraordinary examples of individuals with Savant Syndrome. Kim Peek could calculate dates for events hundreds of years in the past or future. Stephan Wiltshire could draw detailed cityscapes from memory. These individuals had abilities beyond just a special interest or passion.

The More Common Scenario

Individuals with autism are commonly rather obsessive and tend to fixate on various topics, interests, or even fears or concerns. Granted, these individuals may not have extraordinary abilities, but it is expected that kids who fixate on any given topic will know everything about it. For example, everything about trains, more details and names of dinosaurs than a paleontologist, know every capital city, the name of every president forward and backward, and every make and model of every vehicle you see on the road. It’s often truly remarkable. These individuals may not be brilliant, but their passion has led to them memorizing this information. I suppose any of us could do the same if we put forth the effort, but they put forth the effort. As an aside, often these passions are not particularly problematic and can be quite productive and gainful. It is not entirely uncommon that these individuals go on to have a profession in the field of their passion. At times, however, they can get in the way if the child or youth is talking about presidents, or whatever, when in the presence of peers who obviously don’t share that interest. In that respect, it’s often important to keep these passions in check.

Impact on Treatment

Okay, so what’s the connection between a child’s passion and their treatment plan? We would want to incorporate the child’s passion into their treatment. It can be challenging to motivate a child with autism to carry out tasks or learn about a subject when they are not interested. However, they will be laser-focused on a favored activity. So, we find ways to incorporate their interests into the topic at hand or we use their interest as a reward for carrying out the unfavored task. A child with autism may not be interested in learning about the Civil War, but what if their passion is locomotives? What if we were to incorporate how railroads impacted the war effort and note that all Civil War battles east of the Mississippi River took place within 20 miles of the rail line? It wouldn’t be a stretch to then talk about specific battles, Generals, and how the war played out in the context of the railroad. Another option is to simply use the topic of interest as an incentive for carrying out an unfavored task. Sometimes it requires a bit more creativity to make all this come together, but there is great potential. I hope this post has helped to distinguish between Savant Syndrome and autistic individuals who have a strong special interest. If you have any questions regarding treatment planning or any aspect of treatment regarding your child, feel free to reach out at DrCarosso@aol.com or on Facebook. God bless you and your children and have a wonderful rest of your day. Read Original Post