--- title: "6 Disorder Quotes By Darold Treffert" description: "6 Disorder quotes by Darold Treffert. Plus more from Darold Treffert and more Disorder sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/darold-treffert-20114_autism_savant-syndrome-and-autism-i-think-are-n_583283.jpg" --- > [Savant syndrome and autism, I think, are not disorders of brain structure, but they're disorders of brain function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/savant-syndrome-and-autism-i-think-are-not-disorders-of-brain/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/darold-treffert-20114_autism_savant-syndrome-and-autism-i-think-are-n_583283.jpg) > [I think one of the problems with the definition of autism is we keep expanding it. It started as "early infantile autism",…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/i-think-one-of-the-problems-with-the-definition-of-autism-is-we-keep/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f23/darold-treffert-20114_autism_i-think-one-of-the-problems-with-the-def_608870.jpg) > [Savant syndrome is not a disorder in the same way as autism is a disorder or dementia is a disorder. Savant syndrome…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/savant-syndrome-is-not-a-disorder-in-the-same-way-as-autism-is-a/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/darold-treffert-20114_autism_savant-syndrome-is-not-a-disorder-in-the_2168368.jpg) > [We have to be careful that we don't keep multiplying disorders and diluting them. I think there is a difference. People talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/we-have-to-be-careful-that-we-don-t-keep-multiplying-disorders-and/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a9/darold-treffert-20114_aspergers_we-have-to-be-careful-that-we-don-t-keep_2604991.jpg) > [We can't use the word normal anymore because it's sort of come to be politically incorrect, because normal implies a classification, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/we-can-t-use-the-word-normal-anymore-because-it-s-sort-of-come-to-be/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/383/darold-treffert-20114_behavior_we-can-t-use-the-word-normal-anymore-bec_2685355.jpg) > [Originally when we talked about language disorder it was a catastrophic language disorder. It's substantial, and from a treatment standpoint it's okay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/originally-when-we-talked-about-language-disorder-it-was-a/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af1/darold-treffert-20114_disorder_originally-when-we-talked-about-language_2936145.jpg) ## Other authors on Disorder ## More by Darold Treffert > [The ways in which acquired savants show up are usually the same ways that congenital, or non-acquired, savant syndrome shows up. They tend to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/the-ways-in-which-acquired-savants-show-up-are-usually-the-same-ways/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [Not only when one does meditation one is getting into a different realm, cognitively, but if you look at the imaging that's done on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/not-only-when-one-does-meditation-one-is-getting-into-a-different/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [When I met my first savant in 1962, I was impressed by the abilities in these youngsters who had severe disabilities. They appeared to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/when-i-met-my-first-savant-in-1962-i-was-impressed-by-the-abilities/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [I have a fairly strict definition of early infantile autism. That is not to say that people who don't meet that classic description don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/i-have-a-fairly-strict-definition-of-early-infantile-autism-that-is/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [What happens is most of us are so busy in our lives with our families and our vocation which we should be, but we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/what-happens-is-most-of-us-are-so-busy-in-our-lives-with-our-families/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [With respect to why some acquired savants are musical, and some are good at the arts, and some are mathematical, why aren't they all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/with-respect-to-why-some-acquired-savants-are-musical-and-some-are/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [Savant syndrome and autism, I think, are not disorders of brain structure, but they're disorders of brain function.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/savant-syndrome-and-autism-i-think-are-not-disorders-of-brain/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [Savant syndrome, characteristically, consists of left hemisphere dysfunction coupled with right hemisphere emergence, and what you see in the savant are basically right brain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/savant-syndrome-characteristically-consists-of-left-hemisphere/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [I think one of the problems with the definition of autism is we keep expanding it. It started as "early infantile autism", and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/i-think-one-of-the-problems-with-the-definition-of-autism-is-we-keep/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right names in research.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/the-beginning-of-wisdom-is-to-call-things-by-their-right-names-in/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [We should probably start searching around a little earlier in our lives for what I call parallel activities, because most of us get entrenched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/we-should-probably-start-searching-around-a-little-earlier-in-our/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [Sometimes along the way, when people are actively working, they will start to do a search for their roots and maybe get really interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/sometimes-along-the-way-when-people-are-actively-working-they-will/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [To some extent, we all have quirks or idiosyncrasies, and some geniuses, because of how bright they are and how focused they are, may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/to-some-extent-we-all-have-quirks-or-idiosyncrasies-and-some-geniuses/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [When we come to research, if we want to find out the cause of autism, we're going to have to be much more specific,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/when-we-come-to-research-if-we-want-to-find-out-the-cause-of-autism/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) > [When you first try to learn to ride a bike, you work very carefully at keeping your balance, and trying to keep one pedal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/when-you-first-try-to-learn-to-ride-a-bike-you-work-very-carefully-at/) [Darold Treffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darold-treffert/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disorder/darold-treffert/#itemlist", "name": "6 Disorder Quotes By Darold Treffert", "numberOfItems": 6, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Savant syndrome and autism, I think, are not disorders of brain structure, but they're disorders of brain function.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Darold Treffert" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/savant-syndrome-and-autism-i-think-are-not-disorders-of-brain/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/darold-treffert-20114_autism_savant-syndrome-and-autism-i-think-are-n_583283.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/darold-treffert-20114_autism_savant-syndrome-and-autism-i-think-are-n_583283.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/darold-treffert-20114_autism_savant-syndrome-and-autism-i-think-are-n_583283.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Savant syndrome and autism, I think, are not disorders of brain structure, but they're disorders of brain…” — Darold Treffert", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think one of the problems with the definition of autism is we keep expanding it. It started as \"early infantile autism\", and then it became \"autism\", and now it's \"autism spectrum disorder\". I'm not opposed to that from the standpoint of trying to broaden our vistas, and so forth. But from a research point of view, the term autism is lost in specificity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Darold Treffert" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/i-think-one-of-the-problems-with-the-definition-of-autism-is-we-keep/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f23/darold-treffert-20114_autism_i-think-one-of-the-problems-with-the-def_608870.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f23/darold-treffert-20114_autism_i-think-one-of-the-problems-with-the-def_608870.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f23/darold-treffert-20114_autism_i-think-one-of-the-problems-with-the-def_608870.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think one of the problems with the definition of autism is we keep expanding it. It started as \"early…” — Darold Treffert", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Savant syndrome is not a disorder in the same way as autism is a disorder or dementia is a disorder. Savant syndrome are some conditions that are superimposed and grafted on to some underlying disability. So savant syndrome is not a disease or disorder in and of itself. It is a collection of characteristics, or symptoms, or behaviors that have grafted on to the underlying disability.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Darold Treffert" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/savant-syndrome-is-not-a-disorder-in-the-same-way-as-autism-is-a/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/darold-treffert-20114_autism_savant-syndrome-is-not-a-disorder-in-the_2168368.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/darold-treffert-20114_autism_savant-syndrome-is-not-a-disorder-in-the_2168368.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/435/darold-treffert-20114_autism_savant-syndrome-is-not-a-disorder-in-the_2168368.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Savant syndrome is not a disorder in the same way as autism is a disorder or dementia is a disorder. Savant…” — Darold Treffert", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We have to be careful that we don't keep multiplying disorders and diluting them. I think there is a difference. People talk about Asperger's as high-functioning autism, which I think it is. But it does have some of its own characteristics, like the preservation of language, particularly, which may be right brain dysfunction instead of left brain dysfunction, and we lose something in that, as things lose their specificity, and we keep diluting things. I'm not sure that's helpful.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Darold Treffert" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/we-have-to-be-careful-that-we-don-t-keep-multiplying-disorders-and/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a9/darold-treffert-20114_aspergers_we-have-to-be-careful-that-we-don-t-keep_2604991.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a9/darold-treffert-20114_aspergers_we-have-to-be-careful-that-we-don-t-keep_2604991.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3a9/darold-treffert-20114_aspergers_we-have-to-be-careful-that-we-don-t-keep_2604991.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We have to be careful that we don't keep multiplying disorders and diluting them. I think there is a…” — Darold Treffert", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We can't use the word normal anymore because it's sort of come to be politically incorrect, because normal implies a classification, and categorizations, and exclusions, and so forth. So neurotypical is the word that we now have to use for what I call normal behavior. Neurotypical behaviors are those kinds of behaviors within the range of usual human conduct that do not rise to the level of a disorder.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Darold Treffert" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/we-can-t-use-the-word-normal-anymore-because-it-s-sort-of-come-to-be/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/383/darold-treffert-20114_behavior_we-can-t-use-the-word-normal-anymore-bec_2685355.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/383/darold-treffert-20114_behavior_we-can-t-use-the-word-normal-anymore-bec_2685355.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/383/darold-treffert-20114_behavior_we-can-t-use-the-word-normal-anymore-bec_2685355.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We can't use the word normal anymore because it's sort of come to be politically incorrect, because normal…” — Darold Treffert", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Originally when we talked about language disorder it was a catastrophic language disorder. It's substantial, and from a treatment standpoint it's okay to keep diluting that term, but from a research standpoint we need to be much more precise. I wish somebody would take up the mantle of just that particular task.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Darold Treffert" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darold-treffert/originally-when-we-talked-about-language-disorder-it-was-a/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af1/darold-treffert-20114_disorder_originally-when-we-talked-about-language_2936145.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af1/darold-treffert-20114_disorder_originally-when-we-talked-about-language_2936145.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/af1/darold-treffert-20114_disorder_originally-when-we-talked-about-language_2936145.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Originally when we talked about language disorder it was a catastrophic language disorder. It's substantial…” — Darold Treffert", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } } ] }, { "@type": "CollectionPage", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disorder/darold-treffert/#webpage", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disorder/darold-treffert/", "name": "Disorder Quotes by Darold Treffert", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disorder/darold-treffert/#itemlist" }, "primaryImageOfPage": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/155/darold-treffert-20114_autism_savant-syndrome-and-autism-i-think-are-n_583283.jpg" }, "description": "6 Disorder quotes by Darold Treffert. Plus more from Darold Treffert and more Disorder sayings from other authors.", "breadcrumb": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disorder/darold-treffert/#breadcrumb" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disorder/darold-treffert/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Topics", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Disorder", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disorder/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 5, "name": "Darold Treffert", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disorder/darold-treffert/" } ] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```