Darold Treffert - 1933-2020

Dr. Darold Treffert, the 2012 recipient of the Bethany Lutheran College Distinguished Alumni Award, passed away in December 2020. Treffert was a world-renowned autism and savant syndrome expert, and studied savant syndrome for more than fifty years.

Throughout his lifetime of research and service, he authored several wellknown books and over fifty journal articles about savant syndrome. He was a frequent speaker on the subject throughout the world. His career saw appearances on numerous television and news programs and was interviewed for various news publications. Dr. Treffert was a consultant to the movie Rain Man, in which Dustin Hoffman portrayed an autistic savant.

Dr. Treffert’s interest in austism arose as a result of establishing a children’s unit at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he was superintendent for fifteen years. It was during this experience that three patients caught his attention. Fascinated by these children’s capabilities, he found a life calling researching and helping the world understand autistic savants.

Treffert also worked closely with Agnesian HealthCare in Fond du Lac, WIsconsin, for more than forty years. In 2012, he was honored with the naming of the Treffert Center at Agnesian HealthCare which is a destination for families of autistic children and individuals with savant syndrome. The Treffert Center’s objective is to be a place to share information and materials with other researchers worldwide, and it features the Treffert Library, Treffert Academy, and Agnesian Autism, Behavior and Communication Center (AABCC) which provides

state-of the-art comprehensive, multidisciplinary diagnosis, and treatment for a variety of behavior and communication disorders, including autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adults.

Dr. Treffert is the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions and once served as the President and Chairman of the State Medical Society of Wisconsin. He has also served on the Board of Trustees of Marian University.

Treffert earned his associate in arts degree in 1953 from Bethany where he focused on pre-medical courses. He received his medical doctorate from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1958. Dr. Treffert never neglected to tell everyone that he met the girl of his dreams, Dorothy Sorgatz, at Bethany Lutheran College. They were married on June 11, 1955. Together, they raised their family of four — Jon, Joni, Jill, and Jay — in Fond du Lac. The Trefferts are grandparents to seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

When he was selected as the Bethany Lutheran College Distinguished Alumnus in 2012, Treffert credited his Bethany education for a great deal of his successes. He specifically noted that he was very appreciative of receiving a Christ-centered education.

Treffert always considered it a blessing to be able to utilize his God-given talents to help autistic savants, and he used them to the best of his abilty. Blessed be his memory.