More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About Savant Syndrome
Dr. Down is best known for having named Down's Syndrome. But the cases of special abilities in otherwise severely disabled persons caught his attention as well and he coined the term "idiot savant" for these extraordinary individuals, linking those two words together because at that time the term idiot was an accepted scientific term for IQ below 25, and savant, or "knowledgeable person", was derived from the French word savoir meaning "to know". Dr. Down meant no harm by the term "idiot", and in fact he apologized for having to apply it — "I have no liking for the term. It is so frequently a term of reproach" he cautioned — but it was the accepted scientific term for a level of mental retardation at that time. While descriptive perhaps, the term "idiot savant" was actually a misnomer since almost all reported cases since that time occur in persons with IQ above 40. In the interest of accuracy and dignity the term Savant Syndrome has been substituted and widely accepted. That term is preferable to "autistic savant" because only about one-half of persons with savant syndrome are autistic, and the other half have developmental disabilities or other forms of central nervous system injury or disease.
Fascinating.
Dr. Down is best known for having named Down's Syndrome. But the cases of special abilities in otherwise severely disabled persons caught his attention as well and he coined the term "idiot savant" for these extraordinary individuals, linking those two words together because at that time the term idiot was an accepted scientific term for IQ below 25, and savant, or "knowledgeable person", was derived from the French word savoir meaning "to know". Dr. Down meant no harm by the term "idiot", and in fact he apologized for having to apply it — "I have no liking for the term. It is so frequently a term of reproach" he cautioned — but it was the accepted scientific term for a level of mental retardation at that time. While descriptive perhaps, the term "idiot savant" was actually a misnomer since almost all reported cases since that time occur in persons with IQ above 40. In the interest of accuracy and dignity the term Savant Syndrome has been substituted and widely accepted. That term is preferable to "autistic savant" because only about one-half of persons with savant syndrome are autistic, and the other half have developmental disabilities or other forms of central nervous system injury or disease.
Fascinating.
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posted by Brandon at 3:11 AM
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