Just in case you still don’t know who the real inspiration for the 1988 film The Rain Man is yet, watch the videos below. This documentary is about an Autistic Savant named Kim Peek, who had an exceptional memory. He loved reading most of his life. It has been known that he was capable of reading and memorizing books very quickly. Some said that he could speed read a whole book in about an hour, and remember most of the important details in it.
This documentary features one of science’s enigmas, the Savants, a.k.a. ‘The Knowing Ones’. There are less than 100 known Savants in the world today and half of them have Autism. These people have extraordinary talents in areas such as Mathematics and Art. A lot of them have brilliant memories, too (check out my post on The Psychology of Savants: Memory Masters). Scientists in the documentary below conducted experiements that looked at the workings of the brain to answer questions about how the brains of the Savants work. They also wondered whether geniuses such as Albert Einstein and Mozart had Autism. Watch and enjoy:
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a spectrum of life-long conditions that are characterised by difficulties in areas such as social interactions, communication and imagination. In addition, it has been found that over 70% of poeple with ASD also have mental health problems. Taken altogether, these challenges can make day to day living daunting to those who are diagnosed with the condition. However, there are a lot of people with ASD who have found a way to flourish and not let their diagnosis bring them down. I have previously featured Dr. Temple Grandin, Pokemon creator Satoshi Tajiri and Paralympic gold medalist Jessica-Jane Applegate.
This post features four people with Autism who have extraordinary talents for painting and drawing. The stories of these artists have inspired many, including myself, to pursue life-long goals no matter what the challenges are.
STEPHEN WILTSHIRE
Stephen Wiltshire has been diagnosed with Autism at the age of three. The Human Camera, as he is now known, communicated through his drawings early in his life. He has been awarded with an MBE and is now a hugely successful artist. Some of his famous works are incredibly detailed panoramic drawings of famous cities around the world.
Stephen’s drawing of Manhattan:
RICHARD WAWRO
Richard is a British artist who was considered a Savant by many. Just like Stephen Wiltschire, Richard did not speak for the majority of his early childhood. He is known for his detailed wax-crayon-drawings such as the one below.
MARIA ILIOU
Maria is a Greek Autism advocate who has been the artist of greeting cards of the Autism Society of America in 2007-2009.
PING LIAN YEAK
Ping Lian Yeak is a young boy from Malaysia who copes with the pressures and challenges of daily life through painting and drawing.
Savants (the knowing ones) are people with neurological conditions like Autism Spectrum Conditions, who also possess incredible intellectual abilities. The videos below are about Savants with impressive memories. Watch and be amazed:
Understanding and Embracing Diversity 