A 16-year-old with autism was found to posses a remarkable gift -- to be able to accurately count what day any given date falls on, according to a Chinese report yesterday.
Hsu Yun-sheng (徐運生), a mentally handicapped Taoyuan County high school student suffering from autism, is able to transfigure Western calendar dates into the Chinese calendar and can calculate the exact day of the week for any given date.
Hsu's mother said that her son almost died when he contracted jaundice as a child and was not able to speak until he was in kindergarten. She then discovered that her son had autism and an abnormally low IQ of 49.
Hsu's teacher discovered his ability to calculate dates two years ago. Hsu is also good at memorizing maps, words in English and Chinese dictionaries.
Research indicates that 10 percent of patients with autism have unusual talents.
Doctors suggest that the families of autism patients provide proper assistance to help them discover hidden gifts.
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