Docsity
Docsity

Prepare for your exams
Prepare for your exams

Study with the several resources on Docsity


Earn points to download
Earn points to download

Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan


Guidelines and tips
Guidelines and tips

The Early History of Savant Syndrome, Exams of Learning processes

An overview of the early research and understanding of savant syndrome, a rare condition characterized by exceptional abilities in certain areas despite overall cognitive impairment. The article traces the first scientific descriptions of savants, including the cases of thomas fuller, a 'lightning calculator,' and jedediah buxton, who had an extraordinary memory. It also discusses the work of dr. J. Langdon down, who investigated the syndrome and found connections between savant characteristics and autistic traits, even though autism was not yet a recognized diagnosis at the time. The document highlights how savant syndrome has been a subject of fascination and study for centuries, with over a hundred cases described in the scientific literature by the present day. It offers insights into the early conceptualization and evolving understanding of this intriguing phenomenon.

Typology: Exams

2023/2024

Uploaded on 10/24/2024

hugger
hugger 🇺🇸

4.7

(11)

923 documents

1 / 1

Toggle sidebar

This page cannot be seen from the preview

Don't miss anything!

bg1
The Early History of Savant
Syndrome
Early Studies on Savant Syndrome
The Origins of the Term "Savant"
The term "savant" is derived from the French word "savoir," meaning "to
know." These rare and extraordinarily talented individuals are sometimes
referred to as "an island of genius."
Early Descriptions of Savant Syndrome
One of the first scientists to describe the savant syndrome was Benjamin
Rush, who in 1789 presented the case of Thomas Fuller, nicknamed "a
lightning calculator." Rush described how Fuller could perform
extraordinary calculations, such as determining the number of seconds a
man had lived if he was 70 years, 17 days, and 12 hours old (the correct
answer was 2,210,500,800 seconds, which Fuller provided in 90 seconds,
even accounting for the 17 leap years).
The first scientific description of a savant case was published in the German
psychology journal Gnothi Sauton in 1783. This case involved Jedediah
Buxton, a lightning calculator with an extraordinary memory.
Dr. J. Langdon Down's Studies
In 1887, Dr. J. Langdon Down investigated the syndrome, which at the time
was referred to as "idiot savant." This term was used to describe someone
with an IQ below 25 who still seemed to possess remarkable abilities. Dr.
Down described several savant cases and found that the syndrome was
characterized by "verbal adhesion," where some savants had memory
without reckoning.
Dr. Down also noted the link between savant syndrome and autistic
characteristics, although he did not recognize this connection at the time, as
autism was not a known diagnosis. He described his patients as having
"language [that] is one of gesture only; living in a world of their own, they
are regardless of the ordinary circumstances around them and yield only to
the counter-fascination of music."
The Prevalence of Savant Syndrome
Today, there is substantial knowledge about savant syndrome, and over the
last century, about a hundred cases have been described in the scientific
literature.

Partial preview of the text

Download The Early History of Savant Syndrome and more Exams Learning processes in PDF only on Docsity!

The Early History of Savant

Syndrome

Early Studies on Savant Syndrome

The Origins of the Term "Savant"

The term "savant" is derived from the French word "savoir," meaning "to know." These rare and extraordinarily talented individuals are sometimes referred to as "an island of genius."

Early Descriptions of Savant Syndrome

One of the first scientists to describe the savant syndrome was Benjamin Rush, who in 1789 presented the case of Thomas Fuller, nicknamed "a lightning calculator." Rush described how Fuller could perform extraordinary calculations, such as determining the number of seconds a man had lived if he was 70 years, 17 days, and 12 hours old (the correct answer was 2,210,500,800 seconds, which Fuller provided in 90 seconds, even accounting for the 17 leap years).

The first scientific description of a savant case was published in the German psychology journal Gnothi Sauton in 1783. This case involved Jedediah Buxton, a lightning calculator with an extraordinary memory.

Dr. J. Langdon Down's Studies

In 1887, Dr. J. Langdon Down investigated the syndrome, which at the time was referred to as "idiot savant." This term was used to describe someone with an IQ below 25 who still seemed to possess remarkable abilities. Dr. Down described several savant cases and found that the syndrome was characterized by "verbal adhesion," where some savants had memory without reckoning.

Dr. Down also noted the link between savant syndrome and autistic characteristics, although he did not recognize this connection at the time, as autism was not a known diagnosis. He described his patients as having "language [that] is one of gesture only; living in a world of their own, they are regardless of the ordinary circumstances around them and yield only to the counter-fascination of music."

The Prevalence of Savant Syndrome

Today, there is substantial knowledge about savant syndrome, and over the last century, about a hundred cases have been described in the scientific literature.