I Think I Am A Savant???

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Hello. I am 13yrs. Old and I think I am a savant? I asked my Mom If I had some type of autism and she responded "don't let anybody tell you are different" and ended it there. They say artistic savants have a low iq (mine is 60) and also when I was little I was dropped on the head (many savants were hit in the head or were damaged in the brain). I SUCK at school, and I am only good every type of art, I can paint, draw , make music and many others.

You must be kidding about "savants being dropped on the head." Perhaps an individual savant was born with some kind of brain abnormality.

IQ varies amongst savants. There could be a wide gap between Verbal and Performance IQ in at least some savants.

The only way we could tell if you actually have savant abilities: post your art in the Art section.

You may be a savant, or you may not be.

Either way, an IQ of 60 does not prohibit you from great talent in areas outside what is tested.

Did your mum confirm that you are diagnosed with autism, or do you only suspect it?

I'm not sure but not all savants have aspies

How did you test your IQ? You sound smarter than the one you have given. It's possible that you took a test designed for adults and are actually much smarter in terms of your age.

It's also worth noting that some people on the autistic spectrum score lower as kids as a result of bad communication skills (I think this applies more when tests are conducted orally), but score higher when they get older.

Also, even smart people are capable of doing badly in school. I have an IQ of 128, yet have had problems in the past (although largely to do with family problems/instability). Luckily I did well when it mattered though lol.

I tested my iq online. I started wondering because I did a test in school and I scored below in everything but art. also When I hear piano music I start moving my hands playing to the music, when ever I think of piano I want to do it. The thing blocking me from music is school, I cannot go to the doctors to get diagnosed with aspergers or autism but I pick up learning in art very quicly

And like me you are very good a writing. It's weird how one can have a lower IQ and yet it doesn't show in posting. Or in the artwork you do. I suck at school too, but am always being told how smart I am on forums. In real life I don't talk or really interact at all. I have attributed my ability to write so well (according to others) as a savant type thing. I also have a talent is in photography. My brain was probaly damaged because I was born cyanotic (meaning my brain probably didn't get enough oxygen).

I'm always glad to see another teen posting here. I hope you keep it up, it has helped me develop a lot and I have had tons of fun interacting in a way I can't in real life!

Last edited by EzraS on 18 Dec 2014, 10:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I wouldn't put much trust into an online IQ test, and thinking you are less intelligent because of an online test is a dangerous thing to do. Our self-perception can become a limiting factor in itself, due to the effect of self fulfilling prophecies.

I would also argue that school performance is not a measure of intelligence, but a measure of memory and ability to regurgitate the thinking of others.

Don't be too quick to put yourself in a box labelled "dumb". You are only 13, you are still in development and are likely capable of great things no matter what grades you get or what some online test tells you it thinks it knows about your intelligence.

And back to the topic of savantism. It's entirely possible that you are, and that's not reliant on your IQ. The best way to find out is to explore your skill set.

I wouldn't put too much stock in those online IQ tests; they're very different from real ones. An IQ of 60 occurs in approximately 2.3% of the population, and would put you in the noticeably intellectually disabled range; someone would have noticed and gotten you properly tested if your IQ were really that low. Online IQ tests are typically modeled on adult IQ tests such as the WAIS (Welscher Adult Intelligence Scale) for individuals sixteen and older; at thirteen, if properly tested, you would be given the WISC (Welscher Intelligence Scale for Children). Your low score on the online test is probably a result of taking a test designed for people much older than you.

I'd be interested to see some of your artwork; would you mind posting some here?

Don't worry too much about school performance either. I was a straight A student. My life hasn't turned out too easy or too great either. It just made my parents disappointed because they expected so much due to my high IQ and good grades.

If you love art and music you can definitely pursue them as possible career paths. You might do a lot better than many perfectly normal people with no special talent in anything.

Kinda relevant cartoon sketch I found -



BTW, you're the perfect age (from my experience mentoring in a coderdojo) for learning how to code. You can do so free at codecademy

If you feel that you need extra help with understanding subjects in school, you should also check out Khan Academy (also free)

With the current e-learning revolution, it's a good time to be young lol

Thanks! For The Support!!