What is Hyperlexic?

Hyperlexia is advanced and unexpected reading skills and abilities in children way beyond their chronological age. It is a fairly recently named condition (1967) although earlier descriptions of precocious reading do exist.

What are signs of hyperlexia?

Is hyperlexia a form of autism?

Hyperlexia is often, but not always, part of the autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It's considered a “splinter skill,” a unique skill that doesn't have much practical application. But therapists can often use a child's hyperlexic skills as a tool for their therapy and treatment.

Can you have hyperlexia and not be autistic?

Here is a brief description of those conditions. Hyperlexia, type I Some normal (neurotypical is the proper term these days) children simply read very early. They tend to be very bright, but certainly are not autistic.

Do kids outgrow hyperlexia?

But unlike children with hyperlexia 2, the “autistic-like” behaviors in hyperlexia 3 children fade over time with very positive outcomes and little or no autistic residual. The fact that the “autistic-like” features and behaviors fade over time does not mean that happens all by itself.

What Is Hyperlexia? #learning

Is hyperlexia a symptom of ADHD?

The most common co-occurring condition associated with hyperlexia is autism. This is why there is such a strong association with children being mistakenly labelled or diagnosed as autistic with Type 3 Hyperlexia. Other conditions that can be associated with hyperlexia is ADHD/ADD, Sensory Processing Disorder, 22q11.

What interests do hyperlexia have?

Typical special interests of hyperlexic children often include letters, numbers, fonts, foreign alphabets, languages, colors, the solar system, periodic table, logos, anatomy and geography (flags, countries, capitals).

Are 80% of people who are hyperlexic autistic?

Hyperlexia is characterised by strong decoding skills and delayed comprehension. Hyperlexia is strongly associated with autism (84% of cases are on the spectrum).

Does hyperlexia go away?

Hyperlexia III occurs when children read early as above and, for a period of time, have “autistic-like” symptoms which, unlike children on the spectrum, fade over time and disappear. They often have impressive memory for music or movies.

What causes hyperlexia kids?

Causes of Hyperlexia

Approximately 84% of children with hyperlexia have autism and approximately 1 in 54 children have an autism spectrum disorder. Hyperlexia has subtypes, only some of which overlap with autism.

What is the treatment for hyperlexia?

The main treatment for Hyperlexia will be delivered by a speech and language therapist who will focus on developing and supporting communication and social interaction skills. Therapy will use the individual's advance reading and visual abilities as a tool for therapy and language learning.

What are the three types of hyperlexia?

Darold Treffert, who is a leading expert on Hyperlexia, there are three different types. Type 1: Neurotypical children who read early. Type 2: Children with autism who have Hyperlexia as a splinter skill. Type 3: Children without autism who read early, but have some autistic-like traits that fade over time.

What is the gift of hyperlexia?

Children with hyperlexia are often self-taught readers who can read well above what is expected at their age but struggle to understand what they are reading. They excel in knowing how to decode written words but struggle with comprehension.

Is hyperlexia common?

Experts disagree about how common hyperlexia is, but it is believed that around 6% to 14% of autistic kids are considered hyperlexic.

What is hyperlexia in preschool?

Hyperlexia is a condition where preschool children display an intense early interest in letters in a way that is very advanced for their age. They can decode words accurately, but without understanding their meaning.

What autistic child has the highest IQ?

Kevin Sweeney, an 11-year-old Autistic child from Britain secured an IQ rank of 162 and has been invited to join Mensa, the prestigious high IQ society. He outranks some other well-known geniuses, like Stephen Hawking.

What is the genius syndrome of autism?

Abstract. Savant syndrome is a rare, but extraordinary, condition in which persons with serious mental disabilities, including autistic disorder, have some 'island of genius' which stands in marked, incongruous contrast to overall handicap.

What age is autism most obvious?

The behavioral symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often appear early in development. Many children show symptoms of autism by 12 months to 18 months of age or earlier.

Is hyperlexia a savant skill?

Thus, hyperlexia can be a splinter skill in savant syndrome in a child with an underlying autism spectrum disorder, but it is not necessarily so and the differentiation of autism spectrum disorder from “autistic-like” behaviors is a critical one in terms of intervention, treatment and outcome.

What is the diagnosis of hyperlexia?

For a diagnosis of Hyperlexia a child will present with the following characteristics. An advanced ability to read words which is above what is expected for their chronological age. A difficulty in understanding language. A rote way of learning expressive language and use of echolalia (repeating learned chunks).

What does stimming look like in ADHD?

Stimming can take many different forms: visual: staring off into space, drawing, spinning things like pens or coins. verbal/auditory: repeating sounds, excessive giggling, constantly clearing throat. tactile: rubbing fingers, chewing/biting nails, chewing the inside of cheeks.

What is mild autism?

Mild autism is level 1 autism spectrum disorder. It means a person does not have severe symptoms and needs a lower level of support than someone else with autism. People with mild autism still have a hard time communicating and interacting with others.

Do people with ADHD have anger issues?

Anger is not on the official list of ADHD symptoms . However, many adults with ADHD struggle with anger, especially impulsive, angry outbursts . Triggers can include frustration, impatience, and even low self-esteem. A number of prevention tips may help adults with ADHD manage anger as a symptom.