VISUAL AND MOTOR FUNCTIONS IN GRAPHICALLY GIFTED SAVANTS

Savant artists represent a conundrum to our understanding of the natur e of high level specific talents as well as to the concept of general intellectual impairment. In the present paper, we are particularly con cerned with the relationship between general perceptual-motor function s in relation to drawing aptitude. Drawing is by definition a perceptu al-motor operation, yet mental handicap tends to be associated with so me degree of impairment in this area. The following study seeks to iso late such aspects of performance on general perceptual-motor skills th at might be associated with drawing ability, and may thus be regarded as building blocks underlying the manifestation of graphic talent. The results are discussed in terms of the relationships between graphic t alent, non-verbal intelligence and visual-motor functions.