A CASE STUDY OF A YOUNG ADULT SAVANT ARTIST WITH TUBEROUS SCLEROSIS COMPLEX

Abstract

BK [1] is a case of a young adult who has Tuberous Sclerosis with Savant Syndrome. Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) is a rare multisystem genetic disease that causes non-cancerous (benign) tumours to form in different organs, primarily in the brain, eyes, heart, kidney, skin and lungs (NINDS, 2006). The aspects of TSC that most strongly impact quality of life are generally associated with the brain: seizures, developmental delay, intellectual disability and autism. Current estimates place TSC affected births at 1 in 6000. The prevalence of Savant Syndrome is approximately 10% in the autistic population and less than 1% in the non-autistic population, making the combination rare. Extraordinary skills, such as remarkable abilities in calendar dates and mathematical calculation, artistic or musical talent, and eidetic memory, are markedly incongruous to the overall handicap in the individual (Treffert, 2009). The authors of this paper present the psycho-educational diagnostic evaluation and profiling of a young savant artist (BK) with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex and autism spectrum conditions whom they have worked with. [1] The actual name of BK has been kept anonymous and those years during which he has undergone different assessments have also been changed to ensure full confidentiality in adherence to the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) enacted in Singapore in 2014. Article visualizations: