Abstract
Parents of 125 children, adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders completed a newly developed questionnaire
aimed at identifying cognitive and behavioural characteristics associated with savant skills in this group. Factors distinguishing
skilled individuals were then further investigated in case studies of three individuals with exceptional skills for music,
art and mathematics. The findings from the case studies largely confirmed the results from the questionnaire study in showing
that special skills are associated with superior working memory and highly focused attention that is not associated with increased
obsessesionality. Although intellectual impairment and a local bias have been widely associated with special skills in the
savant literature, neither the screening nor case studies provided strong evidence for such associations.
aimed at identifying cognitive and behavioural characteristics associated with savant skills in this group. Factors distinguishing
skilled individuals were then further investigated in case studies of three individuals with exceptional skills for music,
art and mathematics. The findings from the case studies largely confirmed the results from the questionnaire study in showing
that special skills are associated with superior working memory and highly focused attention that is not associated with increased
obsessesionality. Although intellectual impairment and a local bias have been widely associated with special skills in the
savant literature, neither the screening nor case studies provided strong evidence for such associations.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original paper
- Pages 1-15
- DOI 10.1007/s10803-012-1533-9
- Authors
- Emily Bennett, Psychology Department, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London, SE14 6NW UK
- Pamela Heaton, Psychology Department, Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London, SE14 6NW UK
- Journal Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
- Online ISSN 1573-3432
- Print ISSN 0162-3257