Accidental Genius

In 1955, when Darold Treffert, MD, (1989) reported for his first position as an attending psychiatrist, among his first patients there were several autistics with special abilities. Young David had memorized the bus schedule for each stop in every major city in Wisconsin. Then Billy could stand on the free throw line of the hospital's basketball court and NEVER miss a shot. During his career Treffert discovered that approximately 10% of all people diagnosed with autism in the state of Wisconsin had some type of savant-like abilities.
One of the most notable of the cases reviewed by Treffert was Kim Peek, a prodigious savant of phenomenal ability who began reading at 2 and can, among other amazing abilities, quote verbatim from over 12,000 books. Medical research has indicated that Peek's brain does not function normally. Specifically, the corpus callosum and the anterior commissure - the two structures that connect the left and right hemispheres of his brain - are missing. He also was born with macroephaly and damage to his cerebellum. (Kim Peek was the subject of the Rainman movie. Peek's character was played by Dustin Hoffman.)
Treffert's research into prodigious savants (i.e. people with diagnosed both as having the savant syndrome and the most remarkable abilities) led him to several conclusions. The main one is what he calls the "tyranny of the left brain." This means that once the rest of the brain - and especially the right brain - is free from interference from the left, then phenomenal abilities emerge. Secondly, the memorization ability of the savant predominantly involves implicit memory - that is, memory devoid of meaning. These savants tend to have unfathomable memory and calculating capability. However, as there is a disconnection between the semantic facilities of the brain and their explicit memory formation, the practical value of their ability is largely negated.
What this does underline, however, is that the expanse of implicit memories, calculating abilities, and musical abilities is allowed to emerge because of a lack of interference. This leaves open the door for the possibility that these potentials could be tapped in ordinary individuals. Treffert's recent writings - which may be found on the Wisconsin Medical Society's website - highlight his concept that there may be an accidental genius within everyone. This reflects his research into several cases where an otherwise normal person develops savant-like symptoms soon after experiencing brain trauma or an illness.
At this point, Treffert's research establishes that the there are two criteria for unleashing potentials hidden deep within the human substrates. First, a person would need to be born with a neurological defect or the defect would have to occur during the first couple of years of their lives - this implies that increased abilities can occur due to a destruction of mental capacity. This leads to the obvious question as to whether enhancements can occur without the cost created by diminished mental functioning. While it may be a long time before clinicians and scientists can recreate savant-like abilities in normal people (i.e. non-savants), by conducting an evidence-based study of hypnosis subjects and reviewing Transcranial Magnetics (TCM) research literature, one could logically infer the high probability of mental enhancement.
Treffert's second criterion was that once detected, the ability needed to be nurtured. He noticed that once a prodigious savant's special ability was discovered it began to flourish once it was encouraged through praise and other recognition. However, when the interest waned or was removed - sometimes for the good of the patient - then the ability diminished. (Treffert objects to the misguided removal of such nurturing.) Additionally, it was discovered in the analysis of Kim Peek that once one savant ability was uncovered others could arise. For instance, Peek's ability to memorize books came first; his ability to memorize symphonies, later.

Tim Brunson, PhD
The International Hypnosis Research Institute is a member supported project involving integrative health care specialists from around the world. We provide information and educational resources to clinicians. Dr. Brunson is the author of over 150 self-help and clinical CD's and MP3's.

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Autism Treatment And The Power Of Music

A relatively new method for treating individuals that are suffering from autism is musical therapy. When discussing treatment options, serious consideration should be given to incorporating this method. Musical therapy often helps patients improve their temperament as well as their learning skills. By connecting to the non-verbal sections of our minds, music proves to be an excellent form of therapy for those suffering from disorders that limit their communication skills. If you haven't had much success with other forms of autism treatment, you may be pleasantly surprised by how much this method may help.

The reason that musical therapy can be so effective is because you can use it in addition to other treatments for learning social skills. By its very nature, music therapy is non-threatening to patients allowing behavior and social skills to be improved by the many games that can be played using this method. Autistic patients can break through social barriers through the encouragement of eye contact during singing or the use of an instrument, such as a harmonica, that needs to be in close proximity to your face.

The most important way that music therapy helps autistic patients is by helping to develop their use of speech. Music helps us connect to the verbal and the non-verbal functions of our minds. Many people that suffer from autism have varying degrees of difficulty with speech. Some patients can only make humming or grunting sounds, while others have developed the ability to put together words and sentences that will at least allow them to communicate. Regardless of how much skill the patient has with speech, there is something to be gained by participating in musical therapy.

It is not unusual for autistic patients to be particularly good with music. Some have excellent pitch; others can learn to play instruments with a minimum of instruction. Even if the person doesn't show amazing musical abilities, some difficult to handle autistic patients have musical abilities that greatly exceed their other abilities. Musical therapists will use music to link this type of learning to other types of learning, including speech, social and behavioral development. This can also be used as a means of communicating emotions and to develop the memory.

Music therapy can be very beneficial to autistic patients on its own and when combined with other treatment techniques. A trained music therapist can teach a patient how to communicate using nonverbal methods, which makes it easier for autistic individuals to learn. It may be in your best interest to spend some time researching musical therapy to see if this form of treatment may be a good choice for you and your loved ones.

There is much more to learn about the management and treatment for autism The best thing you can do for the health and welfare of your family is to become informed. The most up to date resources and information about diagnosing, controlling, and treating Autism can be found at Http://AutismAwareness.wordpress.com

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The Role of Visual Memory in Communication

Memory is how we move thought from our fluid attention systems to our crystal knowledge. Visual memory is a very powerful and dynamic set of systems that equips the brain with enormous capabilities. How we organize memory determines how efficient we are at thinking, responding, communicating, and comprehending.

The role of memory is critical to understand when you have a child diagnosed with a Pervasive Development Disorder such as PDD-NOS, Autism or Asperger's Syndrome.

Many children diagnosed with PDD-NOS may have symptoms in language processing and communication because their highly visual thinking is interfering with the development of verbal skills. A child that is a highly visual thinker and has highly visual "brains" in the family tree can show as many as 50 specific symptoms in communication, attention and memory. I call this group of children "Maverick Minds."

Visual thinkers experience visually what they are thinking. They follow a visual pattern rather than verbal to negotiate the world. To verbal thinkers, their communications may seem like nonsensical rambling. In fact the communication is following a logical pattern but it is a visual rather than verbal pattern.

Visual people often use the brain's Associator to form memories. They learn of a new idea and they relate that idea to their own knowledge base. The opposite of the Associator is the Sequencer from the verbal pathway.

The Sequencer is rigid and ordering, one sound following another to make a word, words produced in specific order to form grammatically correct sentences and ideas linked in order to make paragraphs.

The Associator is time-independent and the Sequencer is very time based. Understanding consequences depends on a time based understanding of cause and effect.

Creating associations

Visual memory involves the brain function called the associator. The associator creates memory by linking concepts or ideas. An associator works optimally when it can complement the sequencer, but for Mavericks the associator can become the enemy or the antagonist of the sequencer. The associator can multi-task, leapfrog ahead conceptually, intuit solutions, see patterns and relationships readily, and manage an enormous workload effortlessly.

A simple example of the associator is the ideas that come to mind when you see a fire truck. This fire truck could make you think HOT, RED, FIRE, TOY, DALMATIAN, or 911. For Mavericks, associations are a constantly available and very user friendly thinking tool.

Visual memory is one of the four brain pillars that are essential for developing a symptom-free life for a Maverick child. Visual memory is the thinking powerhouse that is your child's greatest asset/liability. You use it not only to process and retain visual input but also as a mental refresher.

You can train your child's visual memory so that it becomes an asset rather than a liability. Visual memory can be harnessed by training the skills needed for immediate memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.

Dr. Cheri Florance is a brain scientist with training and clinical experience in how to teach the brain to replace symptoms of communication and language disorders. In her books, Maverick Mind, and A Boy Beyond Reach she describes how she taught her own autistic son, Whitney to replace disability with ability and become symptom-free.

To learn more about creating a customized training plan for your Maverick Mind, visit us on the web at http://www.ebrainlabs.com or contact our office at 1-866-865-9820. We have helped many children who are visual thinkers move into verbal land.

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Eidetic Memory - A Mental Abnormality?

Most people have heard about individuals who can remember long lists of numbers, equations and pages of text while observing them for a only few minutes. These individuals are said to have photographic memories or eidetic memory. In the strictest sense, eidetic memory means having the capability of remembering detailed information about a complex image with great accuracy. These individuals are able to recall mental images in their minds as if they were looking at a photograph. This type of memory is highly controversial and if it exists is extremely rare in the population. Most of us are visual in our learning and in fact it is our strongest sense as humans however, this is not eidetic memory.

On this phenomenon there has been studies for over a hundred years making use of many experimental models to test if it really exists. Individuals who have exceptional memories have been tested only to find that they do not have photographic memories. Most of the studies have demonstrated that these individuals are good at processing large quantities of information but not producing the actual picture of what they were recalling. Most of these individuals were making use of learned information and organizing the new information based on that.

This is making use of some form of mnemonic device. With a little bit of training, we all have this ability. Most of the eidetic memory testing has had questionable designs so the results are inconclusive. Other reports of eidetic memory are by people who believe they have photographic memories and are not substantiated.

Perhaps you had the opportunity to see the movie Rain Man. The movie was based on a man named Kim Peek who had special abilities despite his low IQ and mental problems. He had Opitz-Kaveggia syndrome (FG syndrome) that is a genetic abnormality that is associated with the X chromosome. This person as facial deformities, large thumbs, big toes and flat feet along with brain malformations. He had the ability to read quickly. Kim learned the Portuguese language in about an hour. He was able to recite many books even many years later with incredible accuracy. It is reported that his mental library contained some 12,000 books. Amazing!

Even though many studies have been conducted to elucidate eidetic memory, very little is known about it. More often then not it has been associated with individuals who have mental abnormalities. This can be seen in autistic savants and FG syndrome. It is believed that eidetic memory is mostly found in children but is lost as they mature. One theory has it that as children develop verbal skills this interferes with eidetic imagery and they begin to lose this ability. Only further testing over time will tell if eidetic memory is real.

To learn more about eidetic memory visit http://www.photographicmemorynow.com

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Little Known Ways to Improve Your Autistic Child's Memory

No matter what autistic child we are talking about, they will most likely have problems with organization. This is not to say that they are stupid, because they are not, it's just a simple problem that children with autism (and Autistic Adults) have, no matter if they are super intelligent.

So with such problems people would think that they have to crowd the autistic child, telling them to do something, being almost on their back about what not to forget. But this unfortunately is not the best way to get the most from your autistic child. Just remember that your autistic child is just like you, they are human! Do you like your boss or your spouse always being on your back?

The answers are obviously no, but just imagine what your autistic child feels. Where you or I could say, stop annoying my, or go away, your autistic child most likely can't even articulate what they want to say to you, which would most likely be... "Get Off My Back".

This is going to be the same for even the most gifted of autistic children. They will be able to remember a 26 digit number no problem, but when it comes to finishing homework or even as simple as bringing their copybook into school, they can fall well behind.

But fear not, there are some non-forceful strategies that will have your child begin to remember the small things they need.
One thing to remember is that autistic children react immensely well to pictures. So, being that we know this, we will be able to formulate a plan around pictures to jog their memory.

One little secret idea that is a great way of ensuring that your child goes to School with everything and also comes back with everything is to make a small picture book, with pictures of everything they need to have in their bag. It could contain pictures of:

1. Their pencil
2. Their pencil case
3. Their copybook
4. Their textbook
5. Their lunchbox

I think you get the gist of what I am going on about. What you do then is attach it to the bag on the outside by a piece of string, or something else. Then, they will always have this in their view and will be able to look at to see what they need to take home.

This is a great way of building up their confidence and helping them feel independent.

I think the main thing to take into consideration is that there will be sometimes that your child will forget things, but so will any child, so the best course of action is not to make them feel stupid. This will kill your child's self esteem and they may even start to forget more things by it. A downward spiral can happen very fast in an autistic child so you have got to be very careful how you talk and interact with your child.

Above all else, seeing your autistic child's memory and confidence improve can be very heart warming. Remember that it takes that little bit of work from you that will create amazing results in your child.

Thomas Stewart is a full time author who specializes in Childhood Autism. Along with his unconventional and often controversial ideas on autism recovery, his work will bring you to a new place of enlightenment when it comes to starting on a path to helping your child recover from autism. You can pick up his FREE e-Course & Find out more about Thomas at http://www.Autism-LaidBare.com

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