Board index › General Discussion › General Autism Discussion

Is it documented that people exist which

Page 1 of 1 [ 11 posts ] 

Previous topic | Next topic

Nomaken
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 9 Jun 2005
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,058
Location: 31726 Windsor, Garden City, Michigan, 48135

02 Jan 2006, 1:36 am

have the ability to learn new languages at older ages (like 20+) very quickly and understand it well just by watching people speak the language?


_________________
And as always, these are simply my worthless opinions.
My body is a channel that translates energy from the universe into happiness.
I either express information, or consume it. I am debating which to do right now.


KingdomOfRats
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Age: 40
Gender: Female
Posts: 4,833
Location: f'ton,manchester UK

02 Jan 2006, 1:50 am

It is said to be more difficult in adult age,to learn new languages,some infant schools over here teach french,german etc to the kids,as the average youngest are supposed to learn it easier/easily.

Or do you mean,non regular/average people,who have a extraordinary ability to learn these things?


_________________
>severely autistic.
>>the residential autist; http://theresidentialautist.blogspot.co.uk
blogging from the view of an ex institutionalised autism/ID activist now in community care.
>>>help to keep bullying off our community,report it!


Nomaken
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 9 Jun 2005
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,058
Location: 31726 Windsor, Garden City, Michigan, 48135

02 Jan 2006, 1:55 am

Yes, since we know plenty of savants which can do other amazing things, i was wondering if there is a language aquisition ability too.


_________________
And as always, these are simply my worthless opinions.
My body is a channel that translates energy from the universe into happiness.
I either express information, or consume it. I am debating which to do right now.


nitraine
Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse

User avatar

Joined: 12 Dec 2004
Gender: Male
Posts: 46

02 Jan 2006, 5:26 am

That is one trippy avatar.

I can stare at it all day.



Nomaken
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 9 Jun 2005
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,058
Location: 31726 Windsor, Garden City, Michigan, 48135

02 Jan 2006, 5:32 am

Yeah, a lot of people are screwed up by my avatar. I'm really proud of it. The weirdness that is it so beautifully illustrates my personality. It is a picture form of a name, an identity. I didn't make it, and thank prometheus for resizing it. But it is so very much ME there isn't another picture out there which comes close.


_________________
And as always, these are simply my worthless opinions.
My body is a channel that translates energy from the universe into happiness.
I either express information, or consume it. I am debating which to do right now.


animallover
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 22 Jun 2004
Gender: Female
Posts: 759

02 Jan 2006, 11:33 am

There is a lady at my work who speaks perfect Spanish and when I asked her how she learned (thinking she had one Spanish speaking parent or had grown up part of her life in Mexico/South America) she said that she learned it to speak to her husband's family - and she's been married a good long time, but still did so as an adult - so I guess it is possible to REALLY learn a language later in life . . .

I've always had a very diffiult time with English - so there is no hope for me to learn anything else! :lol:



Tally
Toucan
Toucan

User avatar

Joined: 15 Dec 2004
Age: 42
Gender: Female
Posts: 276

02 Jan 2006, 11:36 am

My grandad moved to Belgium (from England) when he was in his 60s, and was able to pick up the language quite well.



Sophist
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Apr 2005
Age: 42
Gender: Female
Posts: 6,332
Location: Louisville, KY

02 Jan 2006, 2:08 pm

Yes, language acquisition can be a savant ability.


_________________
My Science blog, Science Over a Cuppa - http://insolemexumbra.wordpress.com/

My partner's autism science blog, Cortical Chauvinism - http://corticalchauvinism.wordpress.com/


shivanataraja
Snowy Owl
Snowy Owl

User avatar

Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Age: 41
Gender: Male
Posts: 171
Location: Birmingham, UK

02 Jan 2006, 2:09 pm

yes there are savants with this ability, i saw a programme (i think on BBC2) a few months ago about a savant who was given a challenge to visit a country where he had never been before (i think it was Iceland) and learn to speak the language in a week before appearing on a talk show in the language, he did it quite successfully... i think the person in question also invented his own language (he reminded me a bit of JRR Tolkien)... i think his name was Daniel something... Tammet or similar? not sure if the guy was AS or not tho, but in the programme he met the (very obviously autistic) savant who was the original inspiration for "Rain Man"...



Sophist
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Apr 2005
Age: 42
Gender: Female
Posts: 6,332
Location: Louisville, KY

02 Jan 2006, 2:16 pm

shivanataraja wrote:
yes there are savants with this ability, i saw a programme (i think on BBC2) a few months ago about a savant who was given a challenge to visit a country where he had never been before (i think it was Iceland) and learn to speak the language in a week before appearing on a talk show in the language, he did it quite successfully... i think the person in question also invented his own language (he reminded me a bit of JRR Tolkien)... i think his name was Daniel something... Tammet or similar? not sure if the guy was AS or not tho, but in the programme he met the (very obviously autistic) savant who was the original inspiration for "Rain Man"...


Yes, I've seen that and recorded it. He was a savant and had AS but Baron-Cohen didn't diagnose him because he said he'd improved too much to need any treatment, so he didn't qualify for diagnosis. He was a numbers savant, too. It was playing on The Science Channel and I popped a tape in.

And, yes, I think it was Icelandic he learned in a week's time and was presented on Icelandic television. It's supposed to be the most difficult language to learn. His teacher and everyone else didn't think he could do it. He proved them all wrong. :)

I was surprised to find out though that the guy who inspired Rain Man they say isn't autistic but only has MR. At least, that's what they say (read it in a brief article).


_________________
My Science blog, Science Over a Cuppa - http://insolemexumbra.wordpress.com/

My partner's autism science blog, Cortical Chauvinism - http://corticalchauvinism.wordpress.com/


MsTriste
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 7 Dec 2005
Age: 60
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,307
Location: Not here

02 Jan 2006, 2:37 pm

Yeah, my mother (who I think is an aspie) has a savant ability to learn languages. Her BA degrees are French and Italian, she picked up fluent Spanish while on a vacation, she has been on vacation to Eastern Europe and can speak Hungarian. I am the opposite. Other languages for me are an effort, to her disappointment.