**4. Mmesic imbalance and superior memory in autism spectrum disorders**

Mnesic imbalance theory predicts a higher tendency in individuals with ASD to use visual mental representations [12,56], these types of representations may be utilized to significantly enhance declarative memory [11,83,92]. Luria recognized that this mental imagery was the cornerstone of S's extraordinary memory, whereas the synesthetic experiences were addi‐ tional information [1]. So for instance, a study of individuals with synaesthesia shows that they have better memory than controls for data that induce synaesthesia, as well as for color per se [93]. However, during the World Memory Championships the competitors currently use mnemonic methods, not innate features as synaesthesia; one of these mnemonic meth‐ ods is "the method of loci" [94], which was used by S, who when he listened to a list of ob‐ jects to memorize he would distribute them along a street in his home town or the Gorky Street visualized in his mind [1]. "The method of loci" is used by Buenos Aires waiters, who memorize all the orders without written support [95].

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Lorayne has pointed out that it is difficult to remember the abstract, he therefore recom‐ mends replacing it by tangible objects, for example, 7 might be represented by a flag, where‐ as 8 by an hourglass [10], while S used a man with a mustache to represent 7 and a very stout woman to represent 8 [1]; O'Brien said that 07 may become James Bond [11]. Finally, it is very difficult to memorize meaningless words, but a solution is to convert those words into intelligible images, for instance, the name "Olczewsky" was imagined by Lorayne as an *old* man *chew*ing, while he *ski*ed [83], while S visualized the word "mavanasanava" as his landlady speaking (Polish: mówić = to speak) from the window, pointing into our guest‐ house (Russian: наши = our) and making a sign of negation (Latvian: nava = is not a) with her other hand [1].

### **5. Conclusion**

The astounding memory of Shereshevskii has been taken as a paradigmatic example of how the development of a skill can affect the development of others. However, this chapter has offered arguments against such a view and presented evidence that he had an ASD. In addi‐ tion, the relationship between memory and autism can be better understood if we reanalyze the life of this extraordinary individual under the light of the mnesic imbalance theory.
