People of subnormal intelligence or severely limited emotional range who have prodigious intellectual gifts in a specific area.
Mathematical, musical, artistic, and mechanical abilities have been among the talents demonstrated by idiot savants. Examples include performing rapid mental calculations of huge sums, playing lengthy compositions from memory after a single hearing, and repairing complex mechanisms without training. About 10% of autistic people are idiot savants; mentally retarded people may also be savants, though the incidence is much lower. See also autism .