Essay on Autism And Savant Syndrome - 1994 Words

Autism And Savant Syndrome A little boy quietly sits in front of a piano, with his fingers poised over the bright white keys. His teacher, seated beside him on the bench, plays a complicated series of chords, filling the air with a beautiful melody. After a single hearing, the boy begins to play, perfectly reproducing the song he has just heard. As the last notes fade away, the boy sits still for a moment and then begins to rock gently back and forth, only stopping once the music begins again.... A genius. A prodigy. One might label this child as such after witnessing this type of performance, were it not for the little nuances of the situation: the rocking, the cold, unemotional expression on the boys face, and his lack of†¦show more content†¦These developmental delays are classified as pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Autism is considered to be the most significant of these PDDs. It is a neurological disorder in which affected individuals have impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual or severely limited activities and interests (2). Often, autistic people have specific routines from which they refuse to deviate, as well as restricted patterns or interests that are considered to be abnormal in their intensity and focus. These habits, like autism itself, vary over a wide range, and may include hair twirling and rocking in mild cases to self-injurious behavior such as head-banging in more severe cases. Autisti c individuals have difficulty making friends and sustaining conversations, often fail to respond to stimuli, including their own names, and usually are retarded in their language development. For these reasons, they are often considered to be aloof and unemotional (2). Their intelligence quotients average at approximately 50, as compared to the average of 100. The occurrence of these [autistic savants] comets of genius across the sky of mans mental universe has been noted for centuries, but were simply noted by the French as idiot savants, or wise fools (10). Its etiology can be either congenital or the result of disease or injuryShow MoreRelatedThe Autism Spectrum Disorder And Savant Syndrome2313 Words   |  10 PagesIntroduction Autism spectrum disorder affects many Americans and until the last 20 years was widely unknown. This disorder is characterized by a deficit in social communication and interaction (Mitchell, 2012). Autism spectrum disorder is also characterized in DSM-V by difficulties following the rules of conversation and understanding things that are not explicitly stated. The purpose of this paper is to see how savant syndrome is related to autism spectrum disorder in cognitive functioning. Savant syndromeRead More Autistic Savant Syndrome in the Film Rain Man Essay928 Words   |  4 PagesAutistic Disorder: Savant syndrome The Hollywood film Rain Man is about the Autistic disorder Savant syndrome. In Rain Man, Raymond Babbitt (played by Dustin Hoffman) has Savant Syndrome and his brother Charlie Babbitt (played by Tom Cruise) finds out about Raymond being his brother and that he is good with numbers so Charlie decides to use his brother to make money. Over the course of the time that Charlie and Raymond are together, they become closer and Charlie is not just using RaymondRead MoreMy Observation At A Daycare Center914 Words   |  4 Pagesis interested in knowing more about autism. she explained her knowledge of autism is limited and that she would like to know why autistic children, have an excellent performance in areas such as, music, art, math and perform poorly in other areas such as, following simple instructions. Background information Autism Spectrum disorder is group of developmental disorders including autism, Asperger syndrome and childhood disintegrative (Who, 2013). The word Autism originated from the Greek languageRead MoreIdiot Savant : Blessing Or Curse?1504 Words   |  7 PagesIdiot Savant: blessing or curse? By: Amunhotep Stubbs Advanced Placement Psychology Mr. Cuetara June 4, 2015 Abstract According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, idiot savant is a rare condition where a person who is considered to be mentally disable, displays brilliance in a specific area. Idiot savant was first coined and discovered by Dr. J. Langdon Down in 1887. Dr. Down is best known for his description of the disorder called Down syndrome. In French, idiot savant means learnedRead More Savant Syndrome Essay1736 Words   |  7 PagesSavant Syndrome is an extremely rare condition in which a person with a severe mental handicap has extraordinary abilities in a certain area, such as memorization, mathematics, or the playing of instruments. The first known case of savant syndrome was documented in a German scientific journal, Gnothi Sauton, in 1783. This article described the case of a man named Jedediah Buxton, who was talented in memorization and mathematics (Treffert 2009). Ever since this first account of Savant SyndromeRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie Rainman By Barry Levinson825 Words   |  4 PagesLos Angeles, as ransom for his father’s inheritance. Rainman was a revolutionary movie that introduced much of the general public to autism, and savant syndrome, revealing what it is like to have autism and problems that those who have it face. One of Rainman’s main protagonist, Raymond is based off of the real life Kim Peek, who similarly to Raymond was a savant, that had impressive memory capabilities. Kim was able to read two pages of a book at the same time in roughly 10 seconds and completelyRead MoreAutism Spectrum Disorder And Its Effects On Society2437 Words   |  10 PagesAutism spectrum disorder still after decades is surrounded by misinformation despite the progression of scientific studies on the subject. Mitchell and Locke created an online survey to better evaluate the information surrounding autism spectrum disorder. Several questions were asked such as where they get information about autism spectrum disorder, where to get help, when it can be diagnosed, etc. It was found that most people get their information about autism spectrum disorder from the media orRead MoreSally Dibbs, Dibbs Sally. 461-0192 .(Rain Man). This quote shows the remarable1300 Words   |  6 Pages talent of a savant being able to remember a person from reading the phone book the night before .. This happens in literature as well as in life for those who live with savant syndrome. Forrest Gump, Raymond Babbit, and real-life savant Kim Peek all deal with the fact they are not the same as everyone else. Though dealt certain mental deficiencies, savants, whether fictional or real, all excel in there own ways. Savants are people who despite serious mental or physicalRead MoreRainman PPTX Final627 Words   |  3 Pagesmany items at the same time. Functional Assessments of Raymond †¢ Health Perception/Health Management – – – – Cannot express much emotion Cannot make direct eye contact Cannot make any decisions for himself Cannot understand his own mental illness (Autism) †¢ Nutrition/Metabolic – Has a set routine where he cannot have dinner past 4pm. – Has set days for different types of foods – Can only eat the â€Å"menu item of the day† for dinner †¢ Pattern of Elimination – Does not have any issues in this areaRead MoreA Comparison Of One Show Two Countries1602 Words   |  7 Pagesabout a doctor with savant syndrome, a rare condition where people with autism experience genius level abilities in one area, who wants to practice medicine and help people, but must get over several obstacles because other people think he cannot be a doctor due to his autism. The American remake of Good Doctor, while it appears similar to the Korean original, takes on many different things like conflict, the main characters’ past, the relationships between characters, and how autism is presented.