Splinter skills are abilities that are disconnected from their usual context and/or purpose. Because they are just a "splinter," or fraction, of a meaningful set of skills, splinter skills may not be particularly useful in real-world situations.
Savant gifts, or splinter skills, may be exhibited in the following skill areas or domains: memory, hyperlexia (ie, the exceptional ability to read, spell and write), art, music, mechanical or spatial skill, calendar calculation, mathematical calculation, sensory sensitivity, athletic performance, and computer ability.
While around 29% of people on the autism spectrum have skills that are considered exceptional, such as remembering and recalling information, this is what is known as splinter skills and does not meet the classification of Savant Syndrome.
The most common savant abilities are called splinter skills. These include behaviors such as obsessive preoccupation with, and memorization of, music and sports trivia, license plate numbers, maps, historical facts, or obscure items such as vacuum cleaner motor sounds, for example.
Hyperlexia, type II
These “splinter skills” are seen along with, and in the midst of, the characteristic language, social and behavioral symptoms seen in autistic spectrum disorders. They usually carry a diagnosis of autistic disorder, Asperger's disorder or pervasive developmental disorder (PPD/NOS) for example.
Hyperlexic children have a word reading ability far above that expected for their age. Their ability to read words (decode) is usually far above their comprehension levels, so they may be able to read complex texts, but with limited understanding of the content.
Hyperlexic children generally have average to above average IQ test scores but generally have problems learning in a classroom setting.
Savant syndrome is a rare, but extraordinary, condition in which persons with serious mental disabilities, including autistic disorder, have some 'island of genius' which stands in marked, incongruous contrast to overall handicap.
Autism Prevalence
31% of children with ASD have an intellectual disability (intelligence quotient [IQ] <70), 25% are in the borderline range (IQ 71–85), and 44% have IQ scores in the average to above average range (i.e., IQ >85). Autism affects all ethnic and socioeconomic groups.
The general IQ of the autistic savant group ranged between 36 and 128 with a mean of 83.3 (S.D. =23.9).
Examples include the ability to list football statistics without understanding the game of football, or the ability to memorize a bus schedule without understanding how to get to a bus station or buy a ticket.
About 70% of autistic people have an intellectual disability, which means they have an IQ lower than 70. The remaining 30% have intelligence that ranges from average to gifted. Autism and intelligence are two separate characteristics. A person can be autistic with any level of intelligence.
Savant skills are usually found in one or more of five major areas: art, memory, arithmetic, musical abilities, and spatial skills.
There are three levels within ASD and what is considered “high-functioning” would fall in the level one category. High-functioning autism means that a person is able to read, write, speak, and handle daily tasks, such as eating and getting dressed independently.
Memorising and learning information quickly. Thinking and learning in a visual way. Logical thinking ability. May excel (if able) in academic areas such as science, engineering and mathematics as they are technical and logical subjects that do not heavily rely on social interaction.
The uneven cognitive profile, also known as splinter skills, is when a person on the autism spectrum may demonstrate great strengths in an area but be severely lacking in skills in another area. An example of this may be great academic or verbal ability alongside a weakness in self-help skills such as personal hygiene.
Research shows that more than half of all autistic individuals have an above-average IQ, while roughly 16% have an IQ higher than 130. But having high intelligence doesn't mean that autistic individuals don't experience some challenges associated with the diagnosis.
Signs of High-Functioning Autism in Children
May appear more mature for their age and have above-average intelligence. A tendency to avoid eye contact. Trouble deviating from a routine or adapting to changes. Trouble making friends and maintaining social relationships or not “fitting in” with peers.
Autistic people are thought to have difficulties with identifying and understanding their own emotions. This is referred to as emotional self-awareness.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
For a long time, however, only people with very severe symptoms were diagnosed with autism. Starting in the 1990s, milder forms were recognized, including Asperger's syndrome (now called high-functioning autism).
However, within the field of rare disease ASD is closely linked with several neurodevelopmental rare diseases such as PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome (PHTS), Fragile X, RETT Syndrome, Phelan McDermid Syndrome, ADNP and many others.
Sheldon Cooper has long been speculated to have autism. However, according to the producers of The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon Cooper isn't actually autistic.
In some ways Williams syndrome is the opposite of autism. For example, people with Williams syndrome love to talk and tell stories, whereas those with autism usually have language delay and little imagination. Many people with Williams syndrome draw disjointed pictures, some with autism draw pictures in perfect detail.
A new study shows that first-born children tend to be smarter than their siblings and second-born children are more likely to cause trouble. The University of Edinburgh study reported that the oldest child tends to have a higher IQ and thinking skills than their younger siblings.