Asperger Savant Examples

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Hey,
I was wondering if i could start a thread where people could post links or stories about any Asperger Savants who have significant talents and skills.

Based on past experience, I'm expecting most to say they don't have any. Or at least any that are a result of autism. Outside of things like hyper-focus.

For me, it would probably be the ability to accumulate knowledge on, and thoroughly research, a topic of interest to me.

Yeah, if you look at the research savantism isn't typically found- if at all- in Aspergers. As people have said, their is hyperfocus on interests but I imagine that's a completely separate cognitive process.

Charles Darwin

Because the OP said "post links or stories", I don't think he was asking if we, PERSONALLY, have "significant (savant) talents and skills".

Here's my current, favorite savant:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Wiltshire

Also, he's had a book published of his work, that I would give almost anything, to buy.

I don't think the OP meant a "wise and scholarly" person----if that's why you posted that. The title says "Asperger Savant", and there's no way to prove (or disprove) that Charles Darwin was an Asperger savant.

Daniel Tammet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Tammet

Sorry I fail at posting links.

David Navarra

This chessplayer from Europe have also a excellent brain, anyway for playing chess. For social behaviour he have not in my view. I like him, he looks very sympathiek to me. On the website from Vimeo there is a very nice portret from him.

https://vimeo.com/4146577

Rex Lewis Clack.

In a dutch tv program about autism there was Rex Lewis Clack from USA.
He is blind, but when he hear a song, even when he never did hear it before he can play it on piano.
Very special.

Here's one I wish they would make a movie about. It's Blind Tom Wiggins. He was born a slave, but because he was blind, stayed in the master's house. As a tot he used to hear people playing the piano and was intrigued by it. By four years old he was playing and people realized he was special because he only had to hear a piece once and was able to reproduce it. By five he'd written his first song.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Tom_Wiggins

Jacob Barnett: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4DaetCZ5v8
+
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR36jrx_L44

Isn't savant-ism something usually more associated with lower functioning autism?

Maybe the clear and all domineering savant traits- but even aspies also have them sporadically.

I am HF, my youngest son is “classic”, (severe, regressive) & we share the trait of absolute pitch.

I believe that he also shares my Hyperlexia but he doesn’t communicate well enough for that to be obvious. My Hyperlexia is atypical because it did not plateau after adolescence as is expected. It actually has increased & now I’m reading around 1,360 words per minute; last time my comprehension was tested I was in the top 2% of graduates in the country, so it’s actual reading vs “skimming”.

If he is Hyperlexic it’s not as consuming for him as it is for me; I’m a virtual hostage of the written word.

Splinter-skills are super skills in one particular area. They show in the jagged skill/intelligence curve in autistic individuals at many levels.
I was hyperlexic too - ate a book in 3 hours, when I was 9.
Math - well - quite another matter

At 3-4 years, however, I could memorize a Mozart concerto and see it as a graphic score, while I sang along with the voices and I could shift between the voices via different intervals - according to the limits of my voice.
That was a little more advanced than usual.

The psychologist called it a savant trait, type "splinterskill". Not unusual in aspies.