PRODIGIES

Prodigies

Prodigies

"Prodigies" explains a strong relationship of Sacks with Stephen Wiltshire, a young autistic savant described by Hugh Casson as perhaps a smart child artist in Britain. According to Sacks's point of view, autism is a neurodevelopmental disability that cannot be diagnosed by any specific biological or medical test. It is organic rather than genetic, developing during the prenatal period. Autism is characterized by a triad of symptoms that include difficulties in social interaction with others, problems communicating with others, and patterns of restrictive, repetitive, and stereotypical interests and activities that are evident before the age of 3. The disorder popularly referred to as autism generally describes the most common form of autism. There is a group of other disabilities of varying severity that are also classified as autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

As Sacks further explains that diagnoses of autism are based in large part on observation. In its most common form, autism is apparent in infancy. In other forms, it may surface after months or even years of apparently normal development. Chromosomal/DNA testing may be useful, particularly if autism occurs along with other disorders such as Fragile X, Angelman syndrome, Wil-liam's syndrome, tuberous sclerosis, Landau-Kleffner syndrome, or fetal alcohol syndrome.

Approximately twenty percent of children included in autism studies have been diagnosed with epilepsy or unusual electrical discharges in the brain. The likelihood of seizures increases as individuals reach adolescence and adulthood and may indicate a lower life expectancy. The ratio of males to females in autistic diagnoses is 4.3:1. Early research centered on school-age children, but tests have now been developed that can identify autistic tendencies in infants. Early identification and therapy are important for optimal development of autistic children.

In "Prodigies", Sacks, examined the British population involved in autistic savant. Sacks estimated the global prevalence of autism at 2 to 6 in ...