Hypercalculia

Hypercalculia is "a specific developmental condition in which the ability to perform mathematical calculations is significantly superior to general learning ability and to school attainment in maths." A 2002 neuroimaging study of a child with hypercalculia suggested greater brain volume in the right temporal lobe. Serial SPECT scans revealed hyperperfusion over right parietal areas during performance of arithmetic tasks.

Math and reading achievement profiles in autistic individuals

Children at any age may be stronger in language or in mathematics, but very rarely in both. Autistic children are no different. A rare example of a child with multiple savant tendencies is a case study of a thirteen-year-old girl. Pacheva, Panoy, Gillberg, and Neville discovered this individual has not only hypercalculia abilities, but also showcases hyperlexia, and hypermnesia capabilities.

A study published in 2014 examined the reading and math achievement profiles and their changes over time within a sample of children between the ages 6–9 diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. What they found was that there are four distinct achievement profiles: higher-achieving (39%), hyperlexia (9%), hypercalculia (20%) and lower-achieving (32%). A previous study conducted in 2009 estimated the rate of hypercalculia at 16.2% in ASD adolescents.

According to Wei, Christiano, Yu, Wagner, and Spiker, research of the ASD achievement profile, hypercalculia, is sometimes overlooked in academic settings. Sometimes this oversight is a result of more resources being spent on understanding the capabilities of children who exhibit hyperlexia. Children with an ASD have shown various results during testing for hypercalculia. Some of these varied results indicate: below average performance of mathematical and problem solving tasks, average proficiency, and high-achievers topping the 99th percentile on 'standardized math achievement measures.'

There is an ongoing debate concerning the cause of hypercalculia along with other savant perceptions. Some researchers theorize that obsessive tendencies may trigger greater attention to certain areas of their lives.

Individuals with autism will sometimes focus a lot of their time, energy, and attention on schedules or routines, calendar calculations, numbers or counting, and/or music.

Other researchers speculate that people with savant tendencies may use different brain areas while they are processing subjects of their higher abilities. Among other debate arguments are hypotheses with regards to neural processes and working memory storage capabilities.

Wallace sometimes refers to these individuals as "mathematical savants" or "arithmetic savants." In his experience, individuals with this ability tend to prefer a chunking or segmentation method of sorts. Their proclivities tend to push them towards breaking bigger things down to smaller things like numbers or equations. This data led Wallace to research, "prime number savants." Prime number savants can calculate which numbers are prime by breaking up the number over and over numerous times until they are at its lowest form. The next step is figuring out if that number can be evenly divided.

Behavioral research of children with higher-achieving intellectual abilities

There are five different types of disorders that have been labeled on the autism spectrum. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), the five different types of disorders on the autism spectrum are listed as: Autistic disorder, Asperger disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, Rett disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder - not otherwise specified (PPD-NOS).

A 2013 study examined the behavioral patterns of children on the autism spectrum who demonstrated measurable intellectual abilities. Their behavior was compared to that of neurotypical children with similar intellectual capacities. The study found that children on the autism spectrum were more likely to internalize personal difficulties. Further analysis suggested that this tendency may be associated with deficits in social and language development. Children exhibiting savant-like traits—such as hypercalculia, hyperlexia, and enhanced semantic memory—also showed a propensity to internalize issues, and were reported to experience higher levels of anxiety, low self-esteem, perfectionism, and challenges in social interactions.

These social difficulties were linked to patterns of social withdrawal and reluctance to engage or share with peers. Many of the children observed in the study were diagnosed with either PDD-NOS or Asperger syndrome. The findings indicated minimal behavioral differences between children categorized as high-performing intellectually and those with lower intellectual performance within the spectrum.

Education of children with savant abilities

Towards the end of the twentieth century, recognition of autistic children, including autistic children with savant abilities, has increased awareness in the educational system.

There are just a few main names for savant children. The first category of savants was first discovered in London in 1887 by Dr. J. Langdon Down. Down coined the term 'idiot savant.' This term is given to individuals who have an IQ score below 25. These individuals show below average intelligence in most areas, but still show gifted expertise among such areas as music, arithmetic, reading, writing, or art to name a few. Idiot savant is no longer an acceptable name of categorization. It is not used very much anymore and was mainly discontinued after the first century of its discovery. Almost all individuals diagnosed with savant aptitudes test with an IQ of 40 or above.

The second name often used for these children is 'autistic savant.' Just like Down's term, autistic savant is not always appropriate for all savant cases. Only half of individuals with savant syndrome are autistic. The other half of the savant population suffer from other central nervous system deficiencies caused by injuries or other disorders.

Savant syndrome is the more overarching and accurate name to identify children with these higher-cognition skills.

Awareness of savant syndrome has increased in recent years; however, the relatively low prevalence of the condition continues to pose challenges in developing and providing specialized educational resources to meet the specific needs of affected individuals. Advances in diagnostic tools have improved the identification of children with savant characteristics, allowing for better understanding of their cognitive profiles and educational requirements.

Students with savant syndrome may demonstrate exceptional abilities in specific domains, such as mathematics, music, or memory, and some may participate in programs for gifted students. Despite these talents, they may also exhibit difficulties with communication and interpreting social cues, which can result in behaviors that appear inappropriate or socially unskilled in classroom settings.

Educational planning for such students often involves consideration of both their strengths and areas of difficulty, which vary significantly from one individual to another. For example, some children with mathematical savant skills may perform complex calculations with exceptional speed and accuracy—akin to a "human calculator"—yet struggle to apply these abilities in practical, everyday contexts. This disconnect between extraordinary cognitive skills and functional application is a characteristic noted in some cases of savant syndrome.  

See also

• Acalculia
• Dyscalculia
• Mental calculator
• Numerical cognition
• Savant syndrome

Further reading

• Joel E. Morgan; Joseph H. Ricker, eds. (2016) [2008]. "Hypercalculia and calendar calculation". Textbook of Clinical Neuropsychology. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-13498205-9.