Am J Psychiatry 1975; 132:557-560
Copyright © 1975 by American Psychiatric Association
An investigation of calendar calculating by an idiot savant
AL Hill
Three mechanisms (eidetic imagery, high-speed calculation, and substitute
compensation for normal learning) were investigated and rejected as
possible explanations for the calendar-calculating ability of a particular
idiot savant. Reaction times for calendar calculations indicated that he
used neither an idiosyncratic nor a calendar-based system. Rote memory and
a special ability to concentrate for extended periods of time were
postulated to explain this individual's performance.
