Carly Fleischmann: Powerful Voice and Epitome of Savant Syndrome

(Carly Fleischmann, pictured right)

"You don't know what it feels like to be me, when you can't sit still because your legs feel like they are on fire, or it feels like a hundred ants are crawling up your arms."

How high would you estimate the author of that quote's intelligence? High enough to finish high school? College? High enough to write a thought-provoking novel? High enough to understand the world around him/her? High enough to sit down? To keep still? To maintain social formalities?

Those words came from a girl who throws herself. Takes off all her clothes. Smears her own fecal matter on walls. Those words came from a girl who cannot speak as consequence of a nearly-lethal mixture of severe Autism, oral-motor apraxia, and cognitive delay. Those words came from a girl who is--by definition--mentally retarded.

Carly Fleishmann is an Autistic American young woman who--despite her severe mental and physical disabilities--has shown remarkable talent and ability.

Carly has not only existed as an exceptionally-inspiring and society-changing individual, but also, as a classic case of Savant Syndrome.

Carly has published an enormously successful text--Carly's Voice--that explains Autism in ways non-Autistic researchers could never dream of understanding. In regards to "experts," Carly herself writes, "[she] think[s] people get a lot of their information [about Autism] from so-called experts but [she] think[s] what happens is that experts can't give an explanation to certain questions. How can you explain something you have not lived it or if you don't know what it's like to have it? If a horse is sick, you don't ask a fish what's wrong with the horse. You go right to the horse's mouth."

What if the horse won't speak?

Carly has rightfully gained fame as one of the few children impacted so severely with Autism to gain a true national voice. However, Autism isn't a new disability. Although Autism wasn't officially added to the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) until 1980, Autism has existed as far back as human nature. It took hundreds, if not thousands of powerful people--like and unlike Carly--to bring us to where we are today.

And we still don't know everything--whether we're a fish or a horse. In fact, we know very little.  That's why Autistic Savants are so crucial to the functioning of society. That's why parents shouldn't abort of "give up" on their kids with developmental disorders, mental illness, or cognitive delay.


Why does Autism make Carly below anyone else? What is wrong with swimming in another world? Is this one really that great that we need to force her to be here too? Is Carly the one who has it right?

(Above) News story about Carly's remarkable ability