Savant Syndrome or Sage Syndrome because Savant in French means sage, is a rare psychic disorder where the person has severe intellectual deficits. In this syndrome, the person has serious difficulties in communicating, understanding what is transmitted to him and establishing interpersonal relationships. However, he has countless talents, mainly linked to his extraordinary memory.
This syndrome is more common since birth, appearing frequently in children with autism, but it can also develop in adulthood when suffering from brain trauma, or some virus with encephalitis, for example.
Savant Syndrome has no cure, but the treatment helps to control symptoms and occupy free time, improving the quality of life of patients with the syndrome.
Main features of the syndrome
The main feature of Savant Syndrome is the development of extraordinary capacity in a person with a mental disability. This ability can be related to:
- Memorization: it is the most common capacity in these cases, and it is common to memorize schedules, telephone directories and even complete dictionaries; Calculation: they are capable of making complex mathematical calculations in a few seconds, without using paper or any electronic device; Musical ability: they are able to reproduce an entire piece of music after hearing it only once; Artistic ability: they have an excellent ability to draw, paint or make complex sculptures; Language: can understand and speak more than one language, with cases in which they develop up to 15 different languages.
The person can develop only one of these abilities or several, the most common of which are those related to memorization, calculus and musical ability.
How the treatment is done
Usually, treatment for Savant Syndrome is done with occupational therapy to help develop the patient's extraordinary ability. In addition, the therapist can help the person to improve their communication and understanding skills through the use of that ability.
In addition, it may be necessary to treat the problem that led to the onset of the syndrome, such as trauma or autism. Thus, a team of health professionals may be needed to help improve the quality of life of the syndrome patient.
