# Number of idiot savants in the world **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 3, 2003, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-of-idiot-savants-in-the-world/146468 "2003-01-03T19:24:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-of-idiot-savants-in-the-world/146468/21 "2003-01-04T06:38:35Z")
> [@](#): > > If a person experiences anxiety in social situations (like parties, but not bus rides) and has trouble chatting/making small talk, but is otherwise normal (and is not averse to people, just anxious about talking to them), could be due to some sort of autism? I can’t answer that, I’m sorry. It could be, maybe, one of the forms of autism or related illnesses, or it could be anything else! An anxiety problem or maybe something else. I really have no clue. I’m not a doctor, just a mom. _grin_ That’s not even close to the kids I’ve been around, or my kid, though. Grace ---
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-of-idiot-savants-in-the-world/146468/22 "2003-01-04T06:44:58Z")
Oh right. :smack: Thanks very much for all the info 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-of-idiot-savants-in-the-world/146468/23 "2003-01-04T07:16:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mangeorge \* > \*\*Yeah, s’posed to be a joke. 😛 > I saw Edward Teller on the tube the other night. That guy gives me headache, he’s so brilliant. But focused. Is he still alive? He’s almost 100. > Here, have a lollipop. \*\* Teller is still alive. He’ll be 95 this month. ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-of-idiot-savants-in-the-world/146468/24 "2003-01-04T07:21:35Z")
Anxiety disorders can be associated with Aspergers/autism but they’re not indicative of Aspergers. I’m trying to say that a lot of people with Aspergers also have anxiety but people with anxiety are not a subset of people with Aspergers. Clear as mud? You’d need the other symptoms to qualify and the other symptoms are more autism specific if that makes sense. Obsessions, sensory issues, communication disorders. If you don’t have those, you’re almost definitely not on the spectrum. ---
**Author:** ![fauxpas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e480ec/32.png) [@fauxpas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fauxpas)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-of-idiot-savants-in-the-world/146468/25 "2003-01-04T10:51:31Z")
Well…what if I said I knew someone that suffers from a slightly different case of idiot savant. I…er…they play various instruments, are amazing at math, englisg, reading, and many more, but when someone is rude or mean to them, this person ignores as if by nature. They don’t hear or understand the voice…yet they seem to act as if they do. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-of-idiot-savants-in-the-world/146468/26 "2003-01-04T11:05:42Z")
You… er… they are amazing at englisg **fauxpas**? How about typing? ---
**Author:** ![gris\_gris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/439d5e/32.png) [@gris\_gris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gris_gris)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-of-idiot-savants-in-the-world/146468/27 "2003-01-04T15:16:05Z")
He can’t hear you Cazzle. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-of-idiot-savants-in-the-world/146468/28 "2003-01-04T17:34:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Liquid Grace \* > \*\*I’ve never met a savant in all the time I’ve taken my son to doctors and classes and therapy and all that. So I’m fairly certain they aren’t common. \< snip \> The 10% number sounds high, unless they are counting kids that have any level of unusual ability. > \*\* That 10% figure seems a little high to me as well, so I suspect that they are including abilities that are not dramatically outstanding (like instantaneous long division) but that radically exceed what would be expected from the autistic according to their level of functioning. Like a child whose speech abilities are severely affected and has great difficulty initiating a conversation, but who can memorize and repeat long chunks of dialogue with remarkable ease and accuracy. I should look it up and see what the threshold is for “savant.” ---
**Author:** ![fauxpas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e480ec/32.png) [@fauxpas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fauxpas)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-of-idiot-savants-in-the-world/146468/29 "2003-01-04T18:35:01Z")
Nope, I cant hear her, because I’m reading this, not listening. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![gris\_gris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/439d5e/32.png) [@gris\_gris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gris_gris)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-of-idiot-savants-in-the-world/146468/30 "2003-01-05T04:17:37Z")
D’oh! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/number-of-idiot-savants-in-the-world/146468.md?page=1)