A little boy quietly sits in front of a piano, with his fingers poised over the bright white keys. His teacher, seated beside him on the bench, plays a complicated series of chords, filling the air with a beautiful melody. After a single hearing, the boy begins to play, perfectly reproducing the song he had just heard. As the last notes fade away, the boy sits still for a moment and then begins to rock gently back and forth, only stopping once the music begins againÂ…
A genius. A prodigy. One might label this child as such after witnessing this type of performance, were it not for the little nuances of the situation: the rocking, the cold, unemotional expression on the boy's face, and his lack of response to the voices around him. Instead, this boy is diagnosed with Savant Syndrome. Savant syndrome is extremely rare. People with autistic disorders, developmental disabilities, or mental retardation may be born with it. It can also develop later in childhood or even adulthood after......
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Approximate Word Count: 1026
Approximate Pages: 4 (260 words per double-spaced page) |