Savantism is usually recognised during childhood and is often but not always found in autistic children. However it is also sometimes acquired in an accident or illness, typically one that impairs the left side of the brain. There is some research that suggests that it can be induced, which might support the view that savant abilities are innate within all of us but obscured by the normal functioning intellect.
Most savants have very extensive mental abilities, called splinter skills. They can memorize facts, numbers, license plates, maps, and extensive lists of sports and weather statistics. Some savants can mentally note and then recall back perfectly a very long series of music, numbers, or speech.
Some other savant skills include:
Examples of savants include Blind Tom, who had exceptional musical ability although no musical education, and Richard Wawro who is an exceptional artist although retarded and autistic.
The character played by Dustin Hoffman in the movie Rain Man is an idiot savant.