| Dr. Darold Treffert Savant Syndrome Expert / Psychiatrist |
 Dr. Darold Treffert completed both his medical training and psychiatric residency at the University of Wisconsin Medical School in 1962. He then joined the staff of Winnebago Mental Health Institute in Oshkosh, Wisconsin where he developed the Child-Adolescent Unit. In 1964, he was named Superintendent of the facility, a position he held for 15 years. Following that, Dr. Treffert maintained a private practice at the same time as he served as Executive Director of the Fond du Lac Community Developmental Disability, Mental Health and AODA programs.
Dr. Treffert has had a long interest in Autistic Spectrum Disorders and has researched its epidemiology. He also is an internationally recognized researcher on Savant Syndrome and maintains a very popular and respected web site at www.savantsyndrome.com. In 1989, he published the first comprehensive book on that remarkable condition entitled Extraordinary People: Understanding Savant Syndrome. The book, with an epilogue update, was re-issued by iUniverse.com in April 2000 and provides insights into the hidden potential that resides within each of us.
Dr. Treffert has published widely on Savant Syndrome and Autistic Disorder, the most recent being an article entitled "Island of Genius" in the June/2002 issue of Scientific American. He has made media appearances on Sixty Minutes, Today, Oprah, Larry King Live, Discovery, and a number of other documentaries. Darold was a consultant to the movie Rain Man, in which Dustin Hoffman's portrayal of an Autistic Savant earned the actor an Oscar.
Darold continues to serve as a Clinical Professor at the University of Wisconsin Medical School and is on the staff of St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
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| The Savant Syndrome: Islands of Genius |
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