The paper reviews the paradoxical nature of idiots savants, persons who, although retarded, have exceptional skills in certain areas. Various explanations for the phenomenon are discussed, such as a specific genetic endowment, a specialized compensatory response to general intellectual deficiency, and possession of an eidetic memory. Various categories of exceptional skills are presented; they include calendar calculating, artistic ability, musical ability, memorization of obscure facts, mathematical abilities, mechanical ability, and sensory discrimination abilities. Also described are the similarities between autistic children and idiots savants. Suggestions are made for educating idiots savants so that their learning deficits are upgraded while their special skills are developed to the fullest. (Author/DB)