What is the difference between...savants, autistics, and prodigies!?

Answer 1

urm i think i got this right so to sum up..

savants account for a very small percentage of people with autism, and possess many of the same traits as autistic people (lack of ability to 'relate' in the real world) but as a side effect if you will, have an incredible ability as well. ive heard of a savant that could be shown a scene, and then go home and draw a precise perfect replica of the scene hours later, and those who can perform uber-complex mathematical operations in their head with total accuracy.

autism is applied to people who cannot relate or express themselves properly or at all in the real world and varies from mild autism (which i believe savants tend to have) to severe, and the symtoms are vast.

prodigies are simply people that have a remarkable talent in a particular area and are thought to go far with them.. this varies from savants in that having remarkable talent for something is quite different from doing something with a flawless and often machine-like ability, possibly only doable as the brain has had to sacrifice other areas of development in its place.

Answer 2

http://www.igs.net/~cmorris/8_criteria.html

Its here!

Answer 3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savant

http://www.answers.com/topic/autism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_prodigy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome