Are you a savant of any type?

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I intuitively get a lot of math and find it easy. I can also easily do calculations in my head, but nowhere near to the level of the actual human calculators. But I would not consider myself a savant at either, or anything else for that matter. Everything I can do I've had to work and practice for.

Also, I don't think a good (photographic or even eidetic) memory has anything to do with savantism.

I agree with that too. Photographic memory is unusual and tends to occur in people with ASD, but I'm not sure it qualifies as a savant skill. I still have to concentrate to use it, and it's not perfect.

I'm pretty good with remembering locations of places. I can sometimes drive somewhere or to someones house once and remember exactly how to get there. Also out of state, when in california driving to new places i could remember directions. don't test me though its not perfect and not practiced either I can just do it. kinda lost it though because someone asked me if i knew where they lived when i only drove there once and i heard someone say they dont remember where someone lived so i felt like an idiot for remembering so i tried to quit doing it. feel like a jackass now for losing an awesome trait.

Good visual memory too, if I need to i can pretty much shop in a store or something through memory. If anybody lives in temecula your T is white . hope this isn't normal or else i feel like an idiot.

You don't know if you have a photographic memory if you rely to much on thinking in words. This causes a lot of problems because you may be overlooking the most ideal utilisation that your brain has to offer you. Thus impairing yourself in a way that may be seen as a handicap by others surrounding you.

There is a way to awaken certain Savant skills for people with (pseudo) photographic memory who might or might not be diagnosed with PDD NOS. All it takes is consistent practice. Savants as known from movies, series and documentaries are often framed at being consistent at utilizing their capabilities to the maximum. This is nonsense because they are not using their (splinter) skills while being fully aware of it as most people do. They do it without thinking and make use of certain low level, less processed information without being distracted but not easily accessed by most people .

So if you try to gain the skill level of a Savant or some benefits you will most likely fail because you are trying, something they are not doing consciously. But bear in mind that there are motives why they utilize certain advanced memory skills.

A good example is fear. In the movie 'Rainman' Raymond is afraid of flying. He memorized the entire schedule so he could access this information when he needed it the most. He fully memorizes a phone book because he could not comprehend what was going on between Charlie and Susanna. This seemed illogical to him so he distracts himself with compulsively memorizing a phone book which to him makes perfect sense and is far more logic than human interaction of any sort. The phone book was given to him by Charlie after an event as perceived shocking to Raymond.

The reason for being diagnosed with a development disorder is that it takes longer to fully mature as compared to most neurotypicals. Although this is only an illusion as most neurotypicals seem to replace facts with self convinced fantasy at conveniently timed moments to achieve certain personal goals. They see the logic in following others without too much further questioning involved and so they commune. Later in life wisdom begins to sprout as they will begin to perceive the bigger picture and as a result the initial self will become more selfless. This is why it's easier for me to communicate with older people as opposed to people of my own age.

People with the syndrome of Savant to a lesser extent place importance to certain fact as they are written in books or even on message boards and of course the internet. Without too many unnecessary emotions their filter can reach a level of being almost non existent. Thus being able to memorize a lot of information. Abnormal to most but logical to them as this is how they perceive the world and it makes perfect sense (numbers and the logic of the alphabet). You might also say that they are extremely good at copying information at a whole other level. A Savant can procreate almost any type of information (almost) perfectly but does this without (much) emotion.

A good method for awakening a Savant-like memory is:

Every day try to remember everything you have seen and witnessed at a moment of peace and tranquillity. Try to remember as much details as you possibly can. You have to start remembering from the moment you woke up to the moment you are in when you try to remember everything. Do this up to three or four times a day at first. You will create small clusters and will actually evolve a helicopter view which results in being able to see the bigger picture. The bigger picture appears when you are beginning to link dots within your long-term memory to each other. As a result you will remember things you have not thought of in a while or even may have even forgotten. After a while you are able to do this in one sitting. And you will begin to get more intelligent and smarter in general.

The learning curve is not that hight for you will be seeing results within a week. It works even better if you are in a crowded area, with friends, listening music or having the television turned on. This helps you concentrate with many factors of distraction surrounding you. This is how it eventually will work. It will become part of your daily routine because you will be harvesting some very interesting results.

There is a downside that cannot be overlooked. You must be reasonably self-assured and have confronted or accepted past traumatic experiences because they will come at you in full force. But once you are done with those traumatic experiences and have perceived what you are now capable of, you will feel reborn. You are able to think less chaotic and will start behaving more neurotypical while leaving the positive sides of PDD-NOS/ Asperger intact.

After a while you will even understand what substance it is that your body lacks and it will seem logic in every way for once you have found that substance everything will be different in a positive way and everything falls into place. Your only downfall will be arrogance and the anger within yourself why you did not find out earlier because you will finally be complete and fully matured. This will frustrate you at a certain point but this is something you must forgive yourself for you will be beginning anew.

I have tons of "broken" savant skills.
I can analyze a dozen meanings out of any complex situation, but only after it has finished.
I can feel my neural circuits and mentally simulate thought patterns in 3D, but not related to brain architecture.
I can automatically simulate complex "organic" interactions and suddenly know some random useless future event weeks in advance, almost like being psychic.
I can recall everything about a past experience except for the important defining details.
I used to look at a spelling book page once, and get 100% on the pre-test. Everyone who did that didn't have to take the test on Friday.

About photographic memory, I was watching a nature show that says that most animals have photographic memories exclusively. Humans and other more advanced animals use vector graphics to store visual memories. It is supposedly more evolved to think in vector graphics, it takes up less data storage space and allows easier data analysis of visual patterns and relationships between objects.

ewes, great post! In my experience, using photographic memory is not higher brain function but lower brain function. I have to stop thinking and just look, which is I think what you are also saying. Go back to the unfiltered memory and just look. That's how I do it.

And you can stretch them infinitely, which makes printing large-scale posters relatively hassle-free. (Sorry, I'm a graphic designer by trade )

As for savant skills...I hardly think I'd qualify, but I do have a really nice ability to understand just about any instructions with a practical application on the first pass, and to remember them for future use. (It also extends to understanding abstract concepts, but I'm not as good at recalling those later on.)

I have a friend who calls me "Rain Man," but this is only because he knows that I have AS, and it is something of a secret between myself, he, and a handful of other friends. I also have a real-life friend with a more severe case of AS than I, and he is more of a savant in demeanor and intensity of interest.

I am kinda of a creative savant...I can learn to do creative projects much faster than it takes most people.
My first watercolor painting was taken to the smithsonian and they said they never saw a watercolor fruit picture that realistic before.
I taught myself poetry, and I have never seen anyone who writes poetry like me. Finding someone to take me further is hard.
Pottery is hard for me because of a lack of strength in my hands. My hands are very flexable and nimble, but not strong.
Learning sign language has helped my hand's flexability and perscision.
I taught myself to draw from sight in a few weeks.
I have a natrual tallent for photography.
and fiber arts, I learn much faster than most others.

My Photographic memory, although I don't think it counts.
I can remember every element of the periodic table, and 22 digits of pi after reading it once.
pi= 3.141592653589793238469

Also I can reconise patterns with ease, and genrally exell in maths and science, being constantly told off by my chem teacher for going into diploma chemistry. (I'm year 9) but I don't think that counts.

I have the periodic table memorized too! But only 17 digits of pi. And it took more than one reading. :P

To me "savant" requires skills that are multiple standard deviations above normal. I think the definition I saw was "must be at least one standard deviation in ability to do that skill above an average person, and must be two standard deviations above your average level of ability". I tend to think of things multiple standard deviations above average person too.

Technically my reading speed is possibly actually 2 standard deviations further than my IQ, but that's just reading speed and I'd not count myself as a savant, because that's not interesting. (Also, I can't find reading speeds and standard deviations and such) The only person in here I'd probably count is the person who flash counts.

Nope. I've got talents, but I don't think that makes me a savant (especially not a prodigious savant).

I've been told I'm a savant by more than one person, but I don't really think so, I've met savants and they are absolute úber specialists at what they do.

(Stephen Wiltshire - now HE is a savant)

You see, when I think of savants, I think of those who are extremely low functioning with low IQ's but have an area of expertise in which they're gifted at. So I don't think of Aspies as having savant-type abilities, just a strong area of talent.

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