what is a savant

A savant is a person who demonstrates exceptional aptitude in one specific domain, such as art, memory, arithmetic, musical abilities, or spatial skills, despite significant social or intellectual impairment. This phenomenon, known as savant syndrome, is rare and is often associated with developmental disorders, intellectual disabilities, or brain injuries. Savant skills are usually found in one or more of the major areas mentioned, and the most common types of savants include calendrical savants, who can calculate the day of the week for any given date with speed and accuracy, and prodigious savants, who exhibit outstanding skills that would be spectacular even in non-impaired individuals. The exact cause of savant syndrome remains unknown, and it may present at any age, commonly being associated with autism spectrum disorder.