Savant syndrome or Sage Syndrome because Svant in French means wise, it 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 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 also can develop in the adult age when it is suffered cerebral trauma, or some virus with encephalitis, for example.
Savant syndrome has no cure, but the treatment helps control symptoms and occupy free time, improving the quality of life of patients with the syndrome.
Main features of the syndrome
The main characteristic of Savant's syndrome is the development of an extraordinary capacity in a person with a mental disability. This capability may be related to:
- Memorization: it is the most common capacity in these cases, being common the memorization of schedules, telephone directories and even complete dictionaries;
- Calculation: they are able to make complex mathematical calculations in a few seconds, without using paper or any electronic device;
- Musical ability: they are able to play a whole piece of music after only hearing it once;
- Artistic ability: they have excellent ability to draw, paint or make complex sculptures;
- Language: they can understand and speak more than one language, and there are cases in which they develop up to 15 different languages.
The person can develop only one or several of these capacities, the most common being those related to memorizing calculation and musical ability.
How is the treatment done?
Usually treatment for Savant Syndrome is done with occupational therapy to assist in the development of the patient's extraordinary ability. In addition, the therapist can help the person to improve their communication and understanding skills through the use of this ability.
In addition, it may be necessary to treat the problem that led to the onset of the syndrome, such as trauma or autism. In this way, a team of health professionals may be needed to help improve the quality of life of patients with the syndrome.
