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Talents and preoccupations in idiots-savants

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Neil O'Connor  and
Beate Hermelin
Neil O'Connor*
Affiliation:
MRC Developmental Psychology Project, Institute of Education, University of London
Beate Hermelin
Affiliation:
MRC Developmental Psychology Project, Institute of Education, University of London
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Neil O'Connor, MRC Developmental Psychology Project, University of London, Institute of Education, 18 Woburn Square, London WC1N 0NS.
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Synopsis

The question was asked whether a diagnosis of autism or a tendency to repetitive behaviour and preoccupation with a restricted area of interest, were crucial features of idiot-savant talents. Answers by caretakers to a questionnaire on these topics revealed that autistic and non-autistic savants resembled each other closely in preoccupation but differed from controls matched for IQ and diagnosis. In addition, the mentally handicapped showed fewer repetitive tendencies than did autistic controls. It is concluded that independent of diagnosis, preoccupations and repetitive behaviour appear to be closely associated with the manifestation of idiot-savant talents.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 21 , Issue 4 , November 1991 , pp. 959 - 964
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1991

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