• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.192-197
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• 2011

Objectives: This study was conducted to examine the prevalence and characteristics of savant skills and the relationship between the savant skills and autistic symptoms in Korean ASD children. Methods: 141 ASD subjects participated in this study and they were divided in to two groups based on the presence or lack of savant skills. The domain scores and total scores of the K-ADI-R, K-ASDS and SRS were used for evaluating the ASD symptoms between the groups. Results: Memory (N=47) was the most prevalent savant skill in the savant ASD group (N=60). The savant ASD group had a statistically higher mean age and IQ score than did the nonsavant ASD group. Despite their high IQ profile, the savant ASD group showed a higher restricted, repetitive and stereotype behavior score on the K-ADI-R and higher language and cognitive scores on the K-ASDS than did the nonsavant ASD group. Conclusions: These results suggest savant syndrome in ASD might be related to the severity of some subdomain of autistic symptoms even though their IQ scores were higher than nonsavant ASD patients.

• Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.112-116
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• 2023

Numerous films and TV series worldwide have depicted characters with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and savant skills. This study describes the portrayal of ASD and savant skills in Korean films and dramas. Starting with the 2005 film Marathon, characters with ASD have been featured in five films and four dramas. Most portrayals were based on the diagnostic criteria and pathogenesis of ASD, as outlined in the DSM-5. Of the 10 characters with ASD in these films and dramas, seven were male and three were female, with seven of them possessing savant skills. In the future, caution and guidance on the general characteristics of ASD from experts should be provided with the release of ASD-based films and TV dramas in Korea; in addition, critiques and social discourse pertinent to the reality of ASD should be provided by people with ASD, their families, and relevant experts.