What is a Savant?

A savant is a person with a learning disability such as autism who has a particular gift for mathematics, remembering facts or figures or for music or other forms of learning, but finds day to day tasks to be difficult and confusing. Kim Peek was a savant, or in his case a mega savant known for his knowledge, capabilities, and out going attitude even though he suffers from autism. He has recently passed away at the age of 56 with such an inspiring story, with his father as his friend and care taker. I have posted the videos describing his amazing story.

While Rain Man was a fictional narrative, screenwriter Barry Morrow was inspired to create the story after meeting Peek at a convention in the early ’80s. Morrow was charmed by Peek’s ability to memorize everything he heard, and went on to write Raymond Babbitt, the character that earned Dustin Hoffman an Academy Award.

Kim’s father, Fran Peek said of his son: “It was just unbelievable, all the things that he knew. He traveled 5,500 miles short of 3 million air miles and talked to nearly 60 million people — half have been students.” As the years went on, the younger Peek became a “mega-savant,” having become a genius in an impressive 15 subjects ranging from literature to sports to geography. As MSNBC says: “NASA scientists had been studying Peek, hoping that technology used to study the effects of space travel on the brain would help explain his mental capabilities.”

Link: Cinematical