Savant capabilities of autistic persons.

Abstract

Various savant abilities, mostly those in intellectual fields, found in autistic people, namely in music, memory, mathematics, specific knowledge and drawing, are presented. Their social importance is discussed. As an interpretation three hypotheses are offered. In autistic people perception and storing of perceived impulses function differently from in normal people (comparable to those of eidetics). The memory process and the storing function abnormally. Outstanding abilities are reinforced unilaterally by the environment and are produced as a kind of avoidance material, because many usual abilities cannot be performed.