This article reviews the literature concerning “idiots savants” very thoroughly and discusses various theories which provide tentative explanations. A number of case studies are used as illustrative examples and the writer examines the possible relationship between autism and idiots savants. She concludes with an analysis of the educational implications.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AnastasiA.LeveeR.F. (1969). Intellectual defect and musical talent: A case report. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 64, 695–703.
2.
BergmanJerryDePueWallace. (1986). Musical idiot savants. Music Educator's Journal, 72, 37–40.
3.
BrillA.A. (1940). Some peculiar manifestations of memory with special reference to lightning calculators. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 90 (6), 709–726.
4.
DuckettJane. (1977). Adaptive and maladaptive behavior of idiots savants. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 82 (3), 308–311.
5.
GoodmanJ. (1972). A case study of an “autistic-savant”. Mental function in the psychotic child with markedly discrepant abilities. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 13, 267–278.
6.
GuilfordJ.P. (1967). The Nature of Human Intelligence, New York: McGraw Hill.
7.
HillA. Lewis. (1974). Idiot savants: A categorization of abilities. Mental Retardation, 12 (6), 12–13.
8.
HillA.L. (1977). Idiot-savants: Rate of incidence. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 44, 161–162.
9.
HillA. Lewis (1978). Savants: Mentally retarded individuals with special skills. In:EllisA.R.(Ed.). International review of research in mental retardation, Vol. 9, 277–298, Academic Press.
10.
Hoffman Edward & Reeves, Russel. (1979). An idiot savant with unusual mechanical ability. American Journal of Psychiatry, 136 (5), 713–714.
11.
HorowitzWilliam A.KestenbaumClaricePersonEthelJarvikLissy. (1965). Identical twin—“idiot savants”—calendar calculators. American Journal of Psychiatry, 121, 1075–1079.
12.
JonesH.E. (1926). Phenomenal memorizing as a “special ability”. Journal of Aplied Psychology, 10, 367–377.
13.
LindsleyO.R. (1965). Can deficiency produce specific superiorityThe challenge of the idiot savant. Exceptional Children, 31, 225–232.
14.
MarlandS.P. (1971). Education of the Gifted and Talented, Vol.1, Report to the Congress of the United States by the U.S. Commissioner of Education. Washington, D.C.: Gov't Printing Office.
15.
MorishimaAkira. (1974). Another Van Gogh of Japan: The Superior artwork of a retarded boy. Exceptional Children, 41, 92.
16.
MorishimaA.BrownL.F. (1977). A case report on the artistic talent of an autistic idiot savant. Mental Retardation, April, 1977, 33–36.
17.
NurcombeB.ParkerN. (1963). The idiot savant. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 33, 737–740.
18.
RimlandBernard. (1978). Inside the mind of the autistic savant. Psychology Today, 12 (3), 69–80.
19.
RobertsA. Dudley. (1945). Case history of a so-called idiot-savant. The Journal of Genetic Psychology, 66259–265.
20.
RosenA.M. (1981). Adult calendar calculators in a psychiatric OPD: A report of two cases and comparative analyses of abilities. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 11 (31), 285–292.
21.
ScheererM.RothmannE.GoldsteinK. (1945). A case of “idiot-savant”: An experimental study of personality organization. Psychological Monographs, 58, (4 whole No. 269).
22.
SmithJuliaHoweMichaelJ.A. (1985). An investigation of calendar-calculating skills in an “idiot-savant”: Brief research report. International Journal of Rehabilitation Research, 8 (1), 77–79.
23.
SpearmanC.E. (1927). Abilities of man: Their natures and measurement, New York: Macmillan.
24.
SteelJ.G.GormanR.FlexmanJ.E. (1984). Neuro-psychiatric testing in an autistic mathematical idiot-savant: Evidence for nonverbal abstract capacity. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 23 (6),704-707.
25.
TermanL.M. (1925). Mental and physical traits of a thousand gifted children. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
26.
ThurstoneL.L. (1947). Multiple factor analysis: A development and expansion of “The vectors of the mind”. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
27.
ViscottD.S. (1970). A musical idiot savant: A psychodynamic study, and some speculations on the creative process. Psychiatry, 33 (4), 494–515.
