Mysterious Talents!

[mike1222]

Does anyone recall a TV documentary from about ten(?) years ago that showed three, I believe, autistic children who had amazing talents.

One, a young black lad aged about 11, was able to look at and then later on draw in the most amazing detail, very ornate buildings such as The Palace of Westminster and some other large buildings in London

Another, about the same age and American I think, was able to listen to a passage of music just once and then play it back on the piano.  He'd had no formal music training.

The final one, and probably the most amazing was a teenage boy who was able to tell you almost immediately what day of the week any given date (past or future) fell on.  He was a boy that appeared to be mentally retarded, as did the first two, and like the first two probably was to the extent that he could not explain how he performed this feat.  Evidently to do this, according to some eminent mathematicians and scientists, required the application of some very advanced mathematical knowledge and complicated formulae.

Anyone remember them and know what ever became of them?

 

[Philtaz]

I do remember the programme.  If I remember correctly the young lad had some of his drawings bought by celebs, the money going to autism charities.

[Jansy]

Yes, I remember the documentary, I was in awe of the abilities of the young artist. See: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/12112 99.stm

Then Google their names for more recent updates of what they are up to now.

[Ouisch]

Sounds like a segment that was shown on "60 Minutes" in the US many years ago.  At the time, they called such folks "idiot savants", but now they're simply called "savants."  The American who played the piano was Leslie Lemke - an amazing story, actually...he was born without eyes and with cerebral palsy.  Abandoned in the hospital at birth, an older hospital employee took him home and eventually adopted him.  She was as amazed as anyone else when one night she heard beautiful piano music being played by her boy who couldn't even walk (he'd dragged himself to the piano).

The others featured on "60 Minutes" were sculptor Alonzo Clemons and human calendar George.

 

< P>Some interesting websites on the subject: 

http://www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/savant/lemke.cfm

http://www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/savant/odyssey.cfm

 

[Jansy]

Sorry, the link doesn't seem to work for some reason. If it's the documentary that I'm thinking of, then it was called Fragments of Genius.  Stephen Wiltshire, Derek Paravicini and Dane Bottino were featured.

[bernardo]

I remember the programme you are referring to - I remember we discussed it next day at school with our 6th-form teacher, which means it must have been 1986 or 1987.  I remember seeing the boy who did the drawings in another programme years later.

 

I remember a programme about a blind boy who played piano (as described by Ouisch) in the early 1980s, and I'm sure that he was a different person from the one which mike1222 is asking about.

 

Having said that, I don't know anything more about the people.

[mike1222]

Jansy, the link doesn't work - "page not found" shows

[mike1222]

Oops! Sorry, Jansy - didn't see your second post!