Radio Shows | Brilliant But Disabled - The Savant | mp3 … wma … wav

When the movie Rain Man came out in the late 80’s, people were mesmerized by Dustin Hoffman’s character.

That’s because he was so talented… an autistic savant who could recite reams of trivia and do impressive number crunching on the spot. I’ve also heard of other savants who can instantly remember a piece of music after hearing it once, then play it back perfectly!

Savants have actually been recorded since the 1700’s and recently, scientists who compared the brains of savants to non-savants found surprising differences that change how we think about them.

The long held assumption about a savant’s amazing talents was that it seemingly took no effort. But new research suggests their skills develop after much obsessive practice suggesting anyone may be capable.

That’d be remarkable!

What scientists have learned is savants are more likely to be people with autism than those with other mental disorders. And tests given to savants show they all had one common trait: the ability to hone in on details other people miss.

Research further supports this hypersensitivity to details in autistics. When you combine this trait with obsessive practice they can lead to the development of savant skills.

A few brain studies support this theory. They show savants have thicker cortexes in areas of visual-spatial processing and calculation – shaped by practice.

In fact, non-savants like London cabdrivers also have thicker cortexes in the same area. They have to memorize an incredible number of routes. And when they retired, their cortex shrank back suggesting the brain changes to accommodate memory skills.

Though we’re beginning to learn about savants, we still don’t have all the answers. As we study further, we may tap into the hidden potential in all of us.

Click here to email this page to a friend.