From Urban Dictionary Here's the definition of Idiot Savant:

As I was just on Google and wondered if I typed in idiot it would turn up suggestions for a majority of Americans. I saw "Idiot Savant" come up and was curious about what it was.

Here's an about page for idiotsavants.com and I'm not really sure if it's a troll site or what it is but I sure the hell didn't like Wiktionary's term on what an Idiot Savant was:

  

Okay first off

  

f*ck you! I may have problems with social cognitive skills but that doesn't mean I can't learn anything!  

Oh just a note: The rest of the Google results are links for info and such on this band called Idiot Savants, and no I don't Google things just to have something to b*tch about or become p*ssed off at, I have a strange knack for finding random stuff with Google...

So is a potential slur that someone could start using against people with Autism, which would probably become a popular slang? Does anyone else, besides myself, find this offensive?

You are getting upset about nothing

The more current term is savant, which means it has been updated to a more PC term, and the word idiot is no longer used.

Are you a savant?

Doubt it, since most of us arent

So since no one will probably ever say you are savant or even the old terminology "idiot savant", why worry with it.

What is a savant ? I mean I though anybody with Autism whop has a special interests was a savant... :/

Quoted for the truth!

I won't let this phase me and why feed the trolls, right?

That isnt correct

Figured you would have googled savant by now

Savants are very special folks

Never heard anyone say all Autists were savant

Or even that all savants were Autist

This post was last modified: 07-29-2012 03:50 AM by skyblue1 .

maybe cause I'm guillable and easily upset that I let these things bother me

Well okay, maybe I'm no better off than those who don't know what Autism is... All I'm doing is embarrasing myself (like I always do) when I think I know everything about what Autism is.

I sometimes feel like I'm an ignorant curebie, that and I suffer from self loathing...

'The Boy with the Incredible Brain' explores savantism pretty well. Daniel Tammett is pretty well known these days, mainly for reciting pi to over 25,000 places from memory, which he can do due to extraordinary synaesthesia. Kim Peek (the inspiration for the movie Rain Man) was another well-known savant. They are truly rare creatures.

It's in five parts - the first one is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbASOcqc1Ss

The term savant is defined as someone with severe disabilities coupled with outstanding abilities.  The term "autistic savant" was current for a long time, because across the autism spectrum the pattern of impairments is so uneven.  Hans Asperger noted this unevenness is all of his subjects (although I don't know about Kanner and Eisenberg).  Yes, autism and savant syndrome have been linked.  I don't see what is so offensive about that.  The interest in Savant Syndrome had a good chance of revealing the foolish nature of assuming "global achievement" could realistically be evaluated even for most typical individuals.  The existence of savants strikes a blow against the idea of cookie cutter kids, of human beings becoming interchangeable cogs in a social machine.  It allows the deduction of the social model of disability from objective facts.  Industrial psychology is self-consciously incapable of "explaining" savants, and this inability is very revealing for its maltreatment of autistics.  The refusal of supports to people who can speak.  The educational neglect of people who cannot.  If people can understand savant syndrome, they can begin to realise they may be making mistakes in other areas.

This post was last modified: 07-29-2012 04:37 AM by Lang.

Try not to worry so much....

It's not uncommon for a savant to also be LFA. idiotsavants.com is correct on this one.

I never really liked the term idiot savant. Most of the time, you can't even tell if they actually have lower than average intelligence or not.

@Skyblue
That is correct, "Never heard anyone say all Autists were savant Or even that all savants were Autist"

@ConLang
Yes the correct term is autistic savant and there's nothing wrong in that.
Very good post, especially the last three sentences.

@D'olson
Aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

Idiot savant is simply a derogatory insult.
Calling somebody a low functioning autistic is also a condescending, judgemental, derogatory insult.

If you actually believe your last sentence why do you persist in insulting them?

Idiot savant is an old term. Probably older than the general awareness of autism. From the days when many autistics were simply thought of as intellectually challenged. So when someone who couldn't talk or communicate well showed some exceptional talent, they were called idiot savants.

There is a history of savant-like talents and traits in my family.

MLB, try not to get so upset. You are among friends.

Savants are complete different. Some Savants are autistic, that's about as far as the connection goes.

The term Idiot Savant hails from a time when Idiot was actually a medical description.

I didn't say I like the term low-functioning. I just can't think of a better alternative. I'm open to suggestions, though.

Why not be specific?  Most of the time, the people who get that label either have a low IQ score or limited if any speech.