Comments on: The key to genius http://blogs.earthsky.org/beverlyspicer/2007/08/25/the-key-to-genius/ Just another EarthSky Blogs weblog Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:49:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: V. H. Adderly http://blogs.earthsky.org/beverlyspicer/2007/08/25/the-key-to-genius/#comment-497 V. H. Adderly Wed, 29 Aug 2007 20:13:20 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/beverlyspicer/2007/08/25/the-key-to-genius/#comment-497 The real person who helped Dustin Hoffman prepare for his role as The Rain Man was Kim Peak. Kim Peak is classified as a "Mega-Savant" which means that like the Rain Man he has more than one ability. You can read his amazing story in a book called "THE REAL RAIN MAN: KIM PEAK". Another book to look at is one called "BORN ON A BLUE DAY". It was written by Daniel Tammet a mega-savant who has a nearly normal IQ but in addition has some amazing abilities. For example he can recite pi to 22,514 places from memory, and he learned the Icelandic language in a week. "Bright Splinters of the Mind: A Personal Story of Research With Autistic Savant" by Beate Hermelin is another book that will give help you understand some of the recent theories about the nature of autistic savants. The real person who helped Dustin Hoffman prepare for his role as The Rain Man was Kim Peak. Kim Peak is classified as a “Mega-Savant” which means that like the Rain Man he has more than one ability. You can read his amazing story in a book called “THE REAL RAIN MAN: KIM PEAK”. Another book to look at is one called “BORN ON A BLUE DAY”. It was written by Daniel Tammet a mega-savant who has a nearly normal IQ but in addition has some amazing abilities. For example he can recite pi to 22,514 places from memory, and he learned the Icelandic language in a week. “Bright Splinters of the Mind: A Personal Story of Research With Autistic Savant” by Beate Hermelin is another book that will give help you understand some of the recent theories about the nature of autistic savants.

]]> By: Jackie Pike http://blogs.earthsky.org/beverlyspicer/2007/08/25/the-key-to-genius/#comment-491 Jackie Pike Wed, 29 Aug 2007 14:27:16 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/beverlyspicer/2007/08/25/the-key-to-genius/#comment-491 Parents want all of their children to learn a little bit about everything, in order to do well in school and in life, in general. They want their children to grow up and be productive members of society, and to be happy individuals. But they also struggle with the notion that they want all of their children to be genii - in the sense that they hope each kid will excel in something. When a parent discovers autism in a child, it is a devastating experience because the child will grow as a dysfunctional member of society, depending on the degree of autism. The parent realizes that the autistic child is not capable of doing "a little bit of everything." Parents' adjustment is severe, when therapy proves to them that their child can only do certain things, albeit doing them in extraordinary ways or extraordinarily well. Now the parents cannot nurture them in doing a little bit of everything, as their original goal was intended. Their lives are changed forever because they have to discover now how the "little things" that the child can do, can help them with the things they do in extraordinary ways, to gain relative happiness as adults. The way that autistic children excel sometimes makes them society's rejects. Parents should go through "therapy" themselves, to learn new ways (or anew) how to nurture the autistic child, so that they can be as productive as anyone else. A good example is Bill Gates. Parents want all of their children to learn a little bit about everything, in order to do well in school and in life, in general. They want their children to grow up and be productive members of society, and to be happy individuals. But they also struggle with the notion that they want all of their children to be genii - in the sense that they hope each kid will excel in something.

When a parent discovers autism in a child, it is a devastating experience because the child will grow as a dysfunctional member of society, depending on the degree of autism. The parent realizes that the autistic child is not capable of doing “a little bit of everything.”

Parents’ adjustment is severe, when therapy proves to them that their child can only do certain things, albeit doing them in extraordinary ways or extraordinarily well. Now the parents cannot nurture them in doing a little bit of everything, as their original goal was intended. Their lives are changed forever because they have to discover now how the “little things” that the child can do, can help them with the things they do in extraordinary ways, to gain relative happiness as adults.

The way that autistic children excel sometimes makes them society’s rejects.

Parents should go through “therapy” themselves, to learn new ways (or anew) how to nurture the autistic child, so that they can be as productive as anyone else.

A good example is Bill Gates.

]]> By: sglasson http://blogs.earthsky.org/beverlyspicer/2007/08/25/the-key-to-genius/#comment-473 sglasson Tue, 28 Aug 2007 18:47:38 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/beverlyspicer/2007/08/25/the-key-to-genius/#comment-473 It's amazing what some people are capable of. It’s amazing what some people are capable of.

]]> By: Paul Burke http://blogs.earthsky.org/beverlyspicer/2007/08/25/the-key-to-genius/#comment-449 Paul Burke Mon, 27 Aug 2007 16:33:51 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/beverlyspicer/2007/08/25/the-key-to-genius/#comment-449 Fascinating stuff - I'm off to see if I can find some of Matt's recordings - listening to Chet Baker now - who had his own problems. Creativity is not only the mark of genius it is the soul of the universe. Fascinating stuff - I’m off to see if I can find some of Matt’s recordings - listening to Chet Baker now - who had his own problems. Creativity is not only the mark of genius it is the soul of the universe.

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