what is “sage syndrome”

In the Turkish novel Doctor Milagro, broadcast Monday to Friday at 9:30 p.m. on Telefé, Ali Vefa (played by actor Taner Ölmez) is a young man with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Savant syndrome, also known as “sage syndrome”.

In the story – which is an adaptation of a South Korean drama and which also gave rise to the American version The Good Doctor -, Vefa is received as a doctor in a career that has cost her dear because, although he be a genius, he has inconvenience of communicating with people because of their condition. However, this incapacity did not prevent him from realizing his biggest dream: to become a surgeon.

The scientist’s syndrome is a condition quite rare which occurs in people who have an autism spectrum disease, some type of mental, intellectual, sensory disability or brain damage and is characterized by “Islands of skills” very striking which in some way contrasts with the global challenges they face.

Although the causes are still unknown, it appears at an early age, unless its onset is related to a later head injury (there is a story of a baseball player who after receiving a ball in the head , began to have certain skills.).

Exceptional capabilities

“The skills are linked to what we call calendar calculation (know immediately which day of the week a certain date fell in the past or which day of the week that date will fall in the future, among others), mathematical calculations, unusual memory for certain facts / data from information systems (storage of names from a telephone directory or information in an encyclopedia), significant talent for music (being able to play an instrument without having almost learned how to do it) or for art in general, among others, ”he explains to Bugle Alexia Rattazzi, child and adolescent psychiatrist and co-founder of PANAACEA.

For her part, Andrea Abadi, director of the Intanto-Juvenil department of Cites INECO, comments that people with this disease are usually described with areas of wisdom, especially in the areas of mathematics or exact sciences, showing unusual gifts, with deficits in social skills or empathic capacity.

In other words, he explains, while the focus is on the functionality of these individuals, they do not differ much from descriptions of those with the hallmarks of Asperger’s syndrome.

“All of an individual’s functional imbalances will generate areas of strength and others with deficits or weaknesses. In this case, people with Savant syndrome usually stand out in certain areas of skill. So if we transfer that to Asperger’s Disorder, which is better known and frequented by specialists, it’s usually individuals who excel in certain areas that they can be very useful to fit into specific work or study environments, ”says Abadi.

And he continues, “However, they have difficulty learning these specific characteristics of socialization and the ability to understand each other’s feelings and views.

Characters with sage syndrome

Coming out of fiction, some well-known people in the world who have this syndrome are the pianist Derek Paravicini (who besides being autistic is blind) and Stephen Wiltshire, who draws memory from the main cities of the world after flying over them. .

Another of the most striking cases is that of Kim Peek, who despite his difficulties in performing daily tasks such as walking or bathing, is one of the most recognized thanks to his prodigious memory. In fact, he read and memorized more than 12,000 books.

Approach

Are people with this syndrome more independent and have more autonomy? “Not necessarily, because these skills are not related to the level of independence of a person, ”says Ratazzi.

“The level of independence has more to do with elements of what is called self-determined behavior, such as, for example, being able to choose, to make decisions, to solve problems, to be aware of their own challenges and strengths, knowing who to turn to for help in times of need, knowing their own rights and, above all, having the support needed for an independent life, ”he explains.

In these cases, the most important thing is that the family know the person’s unique profile, support their interests, promote their talents and provide all the tools for the personal development of this person.

“We always aim for the quality of life model and a perspective of full exercise of rights which guide us in our daily work, and which we try to pass on to families very early on, ”concludes Rattazzi.

“We tend to think that these children or adults seem to be rewarded for life with these gifts, however, the daily lives of these patients and their families are very difficult“said neurologist Gabriel Martino in a 2017 Elizalde Pediatric magazine article.

The specialist of the neurology unit of Pedro de Elizalde Hospital stressed that “patients are in pain and cannot express themselves, get frustrated easilyThey are depressed, they are not understood several times, it is difficult for them to generate social relationships; in short, they live isolated in a world apart ”.

“Our intervention – the text continues – must aim to try to integrate patients and their families, in one way or another also excluded, to the society. Perhaps the good thing about these special skills is that they are that gateway to our world, which allows them to express and communicate what is happening to them or, better yet, give them an opportunity to do so. ‘job that gives hope for the future to generate a way of life that is as close as possible to that of a “normal” subject. We must support patients and their families to enhance and orient these skills which can constitute one of the therapeutic alternatives of social integration. “