Musical interests and abilities of children with septo-optic dysplasia

Abstract

Recent anecdotal evidence and appearances in the US media have indicated that children with septo-optic dysplasia (s.o.d.) may have a tendency to precocious musical development, in some cases leading to ‘savant syndrome’. Here, initial evidence based on a questionnaire survey of parents suggests that a significant proportion of this group do appear to have an unusual predilection for music. However, significant differences in the perceived levels of musical interest and ability of blind children with s.o.d. as opposed to those who are partially sighted indicate that level of vision may be a particularly important factor in musical development.