Autistic Savantism

             Autism spectrum disorder is a disorder marked by developmental delays, or abnormal functioning, resulting in impaired reciprocal social interaction, impaired communication and language, and a restricted, repetitive pattern of behaviors, interests, and activities. However, 10% of the autistic population can be diagnosed with autistic savantism meaning they have a remarkable ability in some area of life. Many autistic savants hold a spectacular memory of which non-autistic individuals could only dream. Two such individuals are Temple Grandin, an animal scientist, and Steven Wiltshire, a visual artist. Though there is no definitive research proving how an individual's memory works, four areas are being researched regarding the memory of autistic individuals, and subsequently many theories exist. The areas being researched are the thought process style used by autistic individuals, the role emotion plays in these individuals, as well as the role of meaning, and their comprehension of expressive language. This research may help determine how and why their memory ability differs from the norm, giving insight into the memory capacity of normal individuals.
             A small girl sits quietly in front of a piano, fingers poised over the bright white keys. Her teacher, seated beside her on the bench, played a complicated series of chords, filling the air with melody. After a single hearing, the little girl begins to play, perfectly reproducing the song she has just heard for the first time. As the last note fades away, the girl sits still for a moment, and then gently begins to rock back and forth, stopping only when the music begins again....
             One might label this child a genius or prodigy after witnessing this, were it not for the little nuances of the situation: the rocking, the unemotional expression on the child's face, and the lack of response to voices around her. Instead, this girl has been diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disor...

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Autistic Savantism. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 08:07, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/80761.html