Article Summary: Stephen Wiltshire's first words were pen and paper. His teachers claim that though he was a late bloomer when it came to talking (saying his first words at the age of five), he had been scribbling on paper since he could get his hands on them, literally. Stephen has autism, and where autism characteristically affect personal interaction, speech, among other things, it usually does not give someone a picture perfect memory. But, in Stephen's case, it did just that. Stephen can fly over NYC, London, and even Rome for 45 minutes or less, and then go and recreate all the structures and architecture in distinct details with a pen and paper. He has been called the artistic genius of his time, but it is arguably his handicap that results in an obsession with architect. As Wisconsin Medical Society explains, "Like other savant artists, Stephen’s work depicts exactly what he sees without embellishment, stylization, or interpretation. He makes no notes; impressions are indelibly and faithfully inscribed from a single exposure for later recall and he draws swiftly, beginning anywhere on the page. Thus, like Alonzo Clemons and Richard Wawro, his remarkable artistic ability is linked to an equally remarkable memory." This remarkable memory is a result of Savants Syndrome, which is when a person with serious mental disorders, possibly including Autism, have some 'island of genius that is affected by their overall handicap. The article claims that there are as many as 10 autistic people with these remarkable abilities, although the syndrome could develop from central nervous system injuries, developmental disabilities, or even disease. Rain Man made the syndrome a household term. There has to this day, not been an overarching theory to explain the syndrome, new evidence and knowledge has come to be known in the past 15 years than in the past 100.
Correlation: Though not a lot of scientific reasoning has developed regarding the syndrome, lots of research is being done in the field. Recent studies have found that the left hemisphere of those afflicted with Savants Syndrome have an increasingly implicate dysfunction, " with their right hemisphere compensatory processes as an important causal component." This is especially found in autistic. Another current hypothesis has been raised regarding the fact that if someone can be diagnosed with Savants Syndrome resulting from a central nervous system injury, does that mean that there is genius within all of us, waiting to be unleashed?
Personal Reflection: Following my last article about the forever running man, I found this really interesting. To think that these extraordinary men and women are everywhere in our world is mind blowing. I also watched a youtube video about Stephen's amazing ability where he flew over Rome for 45 and then transcribed every intricate detail onto a panorama style piece that took him 3 days. Everything from unnamed streets and buildings, to world renowned sculptures and architecture was exactly right. It is insane that he can completely remember it all through memory. But, even more intriguing is his inhuman ability to reach perfection in the details, perspective, and scale.
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