Prodigy vs Savant
Whenever we come across a person with some extraordinary talent or skill, we tend to describe him with words like genius, prodigy, gifted, savant and some more. We tend to equate these words with each other without pausing for a moment to think, if there indeed are any differences between a savant and a prodigy. This article tries to take a closer look at the two concepts to find and highlight the differences.
Prodigy
Though a child is usually prefixed with prodigy, the concept can be applied to adults, as well. A prodigy is a person with exceptional talent in a particular field. A prodigy does not necessarily translate into a genius later on in his life, and when this does happen, the person is described as precocious talent that did not deliver as an adult.
Savant
A savant is a person who may give the impression of being exceptionally talented in one field, though; he may not have the intelligence to put his perceived skill into good effect or use. In fact, a savant may not even understand the implication of his extraordinary skill level in a particular field. Most savant persons are retarded and in conjunction have autism. However, not all autistic people are savants. A savant never qualifies to be a prodigy.
It is hard to believe one’s eyes when one comes across a savant; it is hard to believe a retarded person can have such extraordinary talent or skill in a particular field. The most obvious difference between a savant and a prodigy is that, despite perceived abilities, savants are, in reality, retarded persons and in 50% of cases, also autistic. On the other hand, prodigies never have any mental disability in conjunction with their extraordinary ability.
A savant is a person with one or the other developmental disorder and simultaneously has an extraordinary skill, brilliance or expertise that seems to defy his mental limitations.
There are some people who classify as prodigious savants. This kind of people are extremely rare with only about a 100 cases reported so far in the last century or so. Such a savant person has an extraordinary skill or ability without any ostensible cognitive disability. The abilities of prodigious savants are of such high level that these abilities are rare even in normal people.
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What is the difference between Prodigy and Savant? • To a casual observer, especially when observing exceptional abilities only, a savant and a prodigy might look similar. It is only on closer analysis that it becomes clear that savants are retarded people and have autistic trait. Not all autistic people are savants; also, only about 50% of savants are autistic. • A prodigy is always related to children and never associated with any disability.
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Studies have actually shown that most “savants” in fact, have I.Q. scores higher than 70 (the threshold of mental retardation). Also, prodigious savants aren’t the only individuals in the savant category who don’t exhibit any cognitive disabilities, the difference between prodigious savants and talented or splinter skilled savants is that their abilities are definitely natural, they’re prodigies, and many, including Stephen Wiltshire, depend on aid by others to survive. The only sure way to know that someone is a savant (and not what you consider only a prodigy) is if they have extraordinary skill and a diagnosis of a developmental disorder or disability.
Overall an enlightening and informative article (though in need of some proof-reading); much appreciated. I would really appreciate it, though – and I’m sure many others would too – if you guys could elaborate on a very muddled and poorly-explained aspect of savant syndrome that doesn’t seem to be clarified anywhere I look on the web.
Everywhere you read about savant syndrome, it says the same thing: autism with savant syndrome is “incredibly rare”, followed by the assertion that “an estimated 10% of autistics have savant syndrome”. Well that’s not very rare now, is it?
As someone with Class-V Autism Spectrum Disorder who falls into this category, I know what they’re talking about: I once heard it described on a website (I can no longer find) as “semi-savant syndrome”, though plenty of searching now yields no diagnostic indications for any kind of a “semi”, “partial” or “milder” savant syndrome. This seems like a critical oversight to me.
I’m extremely interested to find some comprehensive material on this and hopefully, better understand myself in the process. “Semi-savant syndrome” does seem apt because for me, personally – and the vast majority of those who also fall into that 10% – there’s a wide-discrepancy in mental aptitudes, but milder in both directions.
[Trust me, this is not leading to braggery over what a “genius” I am; quite the opposite]
On the one hand, I’ve always exhibited abnormally-high aptitude and ease of application with writing and comprehension of English language structure, memorizing long random alpha-numeric sequences, researching any topic (exceptional capacity for acquisition, retention and comprehension), bio-medical sciences (particularly biochemistry and neurology), a level of proficiency in the application of raw/foundational logic that had my professors blown away, and more just high-bright range ability with computer sciences.
On multiple occasions, when several GP’s and medical specialists could find no way to solve or even treat some very serious medical problems I was having, in little time I devised experimental and purely-theoretical medical procedures (biochemical and mild surgical) , applied them to myself, and completely *cured* extremely-debilitating health problems who’s only solution from doctors entailed “sorry, there’s nothing we can do”.
BUT…On the other hand, I’m 30 years old and still without a drivers license; I took the learner’s test 3 times, studied thoroughly beforehand and still got confused by the questions and failed miserably all 3 times.
I constantly get confused by simple little things in the physical environment like not being able to figure out how the latch on my locker worked, navigating my way through a simple building to a given room, and I’ve totally given up on figuring out how to work the automated checkout machines they started putting in grocery stores… now there lies an exercise in hopeless, persistent humiliation.
Detecting lies, manipulation, fraud or just the subtleties of social cues… forget about it, in this I essentially *was* born yesterday.
I *REALLY* want to find literally written on this and figure out what’s happening in the brain, how many people might actually be similar to myself, and hopefully – just maybe – work on a treatment through guided neuroplasticity with sufficient mechanical understanding of neuro-mechanics (tremendously more possible than you might think – I can say from experience).
Really?? Using the words ‘retard’, ‘retarded’, etc about anybody is very offensive indeed. I thought I had gone back to 1958. Please, if possible, could you edit this to reflect modern attitudes and language. Please.