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Savant syndrome has a distinct psychological profile in autism

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posted on 2023-06-09, 15:34 authored by James Hughes, Jamie WardJamie Ward, Elin Gruffydd, Simon Baron-Cohen, Paula Smith, Carrie Allison, Julia SimnerJulia Simner
Background Savant syndrome is a condition where prodigious talent can co-occur with developmental conditions such as autism spectrum conditions (autism). It is not yet clear why some autistic people develop savant skills while others do not. Methods We tested three groups of adults: autistic individuals who have savant skills, autistic individuals without savant skills, and typical controls without autism or savant syndrome. In experiment 1, we investigated the cognitive and behavioural profiles of these three groups by asking participants to complete a battery of self-report measures of sensory sensitivity, obsessional behaviours, cognitive styles, and broader autism-related traits including social communication and systemising. In experiment 2, we investigated how our three groups learned a novel savant skill—calendar calculation. Results Heightened sensory sensitivity, obsessional behaviours, technical/spatial abilities, and systemising were all key aspects in defining the savant profile distinct from autism alone, along with a different approach to task learning. Conclusions These results reveal a unique cognitive and behavioural profile in autistic adults with savant syndrome that is distinct from autistic adults without a savant skill.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Molecular Autism

ISSN

2040-2392

Publisher

BMC

Issue

53

Volume

9

Page range

1-18

Department affiliated with

  • Psychology Publications

Research groups affiliated with

  • Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science Publications
  • Sussex Neuroscience Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2018-10-19

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2018-10-19

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2018-10-19

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