A case of savant syndrome in a child with autism spectrum disorder
-
Maria Finocchiaro
,
Francesco Domenico Di Blasi
Abstract
Background: Savant syndrome is a rare condition, in which persons with serious intellectual disabilities demonstrate extraordinary capacities or abilities in contrast to their overall disability. This paper presents the savant abilities of a child with autism spectrum disorder, who showed exceptional arithmetic skills and higher word decoding ability.
Methods: A protocol of academic skills evaluation was administered. Assessment of calculation skills included tests on written calculations; numerical knowledge indicating the semantic, syntactic and lexical level; and accuracy and speed measurement.
Results: Performances in number elaboration showed an adequate access to semantic and verbal number information. In the written and mental calculation task and in fact retrieval, implicating calculation strategies and information retrieval, processes were automatized.
Conclusions: The data gathered show that the child’s performance both for number elaboration and calculation procedures is higher than the school grade attended, typical of people with exceptional abilities.
Acknowledgments
Special acknowledgement is given to Mrs. Eleonora Di Fatta for her valuable assistance in the translation, preparation, and formatting of the text.
Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Research funding: None declared.
Employment or leadership: None declared.
Honorarium: None declared.
Competing interests: The funding organization(s) played no role in the study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the report for publication.
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©2015 by De Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorials
- Adults, mental illness and disability
- Chronic illness, disease and impairment: living longer, living well
- Review
- Navigational audio games: an effective approach toward improving spatial contextual learning for blind people
- Mini Review
- Conscious capitalism to help people with hearing disability in developing countries
- Original Articles
- The influence of vibration on the quality of gait in women with cerebral palsy
- Attitudes of medical students toward disabilities in Nigeria
- A novel speech synthesizer using 3D facial model with gestures
- Comparison of kangaroo mother care and tactile kinesthetic stimulation in low birth weight babies – an experimental study
- Control of hypertension and diabetes among adults aged over 40 years with or without physical disabilities
- Association between quality of life and team achievement among wheelchair basketball players – a survey study
- A case of savant syndrome in a child with autism spectrum disorder
- Community physiotherapy in India: short review on research
- Prevalence of victimization, and associated risk factors, impacting youth with disabilities in Vietnam: a population-based study
- Challenge and promotion: influence of religion on Tibetan special education
- Case Reports
- Right thalamic lacunar infarction presenting with anomic aphasia
- G20210A mutation and cerebral venous infarct: a rare presentation in a child
- Letter to the Editor
- Zaro Agha, The legendary Kurdish supercentenarian
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorials
- Adults, mental illness and disability
- Chronic illness, disease and impairment: living longer, living well
- Review
- Navigational audio games: an effective approach toward improving spatial contextual learning for blind people
- Mini Review
- Conscious capitalism to help people with hearing disability in developing countries
- Original Articles
- The influence of vibration on the quality of gait in women with cerebral palsy
- Attitudes of medical students toward disabilities in Nigeria
- A novel speech synthesizer using 3D facial model with gestures
- Comparison of kangaroo mother care and tactile kinesthetic stimulation in low birth weight babies – an experimental study
- Control of hypertension and diabetes among adults aged over 40 years with or without physical disabilities
- Association between quality of life and team achievement among wheelchair basketball players – a survey study
- A case of savant syndrome in a child with autism spectrum disorder
- Community physiotherapy in India: short review on research
- Prevalence of victimization, and associated risk factors, impacting youth with disabilities in Vietnam: a population-based study
- Challenge and promotion: influence of religion on Tibetan special education
- Case Reports
- Right thalamic lacunar infarction presenting with anomic aphasia
- G20210A mutation and cerebral venous infarct: a rare presentation in a child
- Letter to the Editor
- Zaro Agha, The legendary Kurdish supercentenarian
