The Real Rain Man

By Ryan Christensen

The doctor told his parents that their son was mentally retarded. They were advised to institutionalize their son and just forget about him. They were told that he would never be able to walk or speak. His parents didn't listen and the world is a richer place because of their courage and love.

Kim Peek, mega-savant and inspiration for the movie "Rain Man," along with his father, now aged 80+ years, visited The Wentworth in Draper on 13 March 2008. "It's one of the most amazing stories you've ever head," said Kathy Leeper, friend of the family and event organizer. "Just wait and see."

Peek was born Nov. 11, 1951. At birth his head was a third larger than a normal infant. His head was so heavy he had to push it in front of himself as a crawling baby because he couldn't lift it off the ground. Peek couldn't walk until he was four years old.

At the young age of only 18 months Peek asked his parents what the word 'confident' meant. At age three he could read.

He was not allowed to attend public school. His parents hired 4 retired school teachers as tutors. He started school late, halfway through his eighth year, but finished by the time he was 14.

Peek's father, Fran, estimates that over his life Peek has read over 12,000 books. And that number continues to grow. Peek's normal routine usually includes spending five to six hours a day reading. What he accomplishes in that time is multiplied by the fact that he can both watch the news and read 2-3 books interchangeably.

Most impressive are the results from a study conducted at Stanford University. Peek was asked to read 8 pages from the book "The Hunt for Red October" while his eyes were being monitored by a camera. He read all 8 pages in only 53 seconds. After analyzing the captured footage for an hour the scientists determined that Peek's eyes could operate independently with each eye reading its respective page. The study also concluded that his immediate retention rate was 98%.

The Peek's have had as many as 7,000 books in their home and about 6,400 telephone directories. Peek has a fascination with telephone numbers and area codes. Tell him places you have been and he can shoot back the dialing prefixes and major roads for the area.

His common knowledge also includes the histories of countries worldwide, literature, music, the outcome of all major sporting events since 1983 and movie soundtracks. A fun part of each public appearance is for audience members to announce their birthday and in less than six seconds Peek will reply with the day of the week and major news headlines of the day.

The abnormalities in brain that allow him superior capability in some areas are also responsible for limited social and motor skills. His father still helps him shave, shower, brush his teeth, and dress. Peek has difficulty with abstract thought and struggles to interpret proverbs and metaphors.

His speech is generally simple and direct, yet comprehensive and accurate. He sometimes cries out loudly and consistently hits his forehead with his hand while talking imperceptibly to himself.

Despite these limitations, Peek and his father have spoken to over 4.3 million people, more than half of them children. Together they have traveled over 1.9 million miles.

Peek's message to all his audiences, ”Learning to recognize and to respect differences in others and treating them like you want them to treat you will bring the peace and joy we all hope for. Let’s care, share, and be our best. “