Imagine if your memory was so good, you could learn to speak a whole language fluently in a week. This is the case for Daniel Tammet, an extraordinary individual who can speak 11 languages, including Icelandic which he was challenged to learn in just seven days. Daniel is considered an autistic savant, and in addition to being exceptionally gifted with language and numbers, he suffers from Asperger Syndrome, a milder form of autism. In contrast to Daniel, some individuals who live with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) never develop any linguistic ability at all and must navigate the world unable to communicate verbally with those around them. How can two people with such drastically different abilities possibly be diagnosed with the same condition? Autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning the types and severity of symptoms experienced vary widely. While some people on the autism spectrum lead largely normal lives with only slight social deficits, others have severe social and behavioral disabilities and require constant supervision. In instances of the later, ASD presents significant challenges in the lives of those affected as well as their families. But such diversity of symptoms is just one aspect of autism that makes it so mysterious. The genetic and environmental factors that lead to autism remain elusive and hundreds of genes have been linked to the disorder, though the exact genes affected vary widely from case to case.