Learning to read as a child without any support....

Post Reply New Topic

Hi Everyone!

First of all I would like to say that I'm not diagnosed with Asperger even though I think that I might have it. I'm not sure if I want to go or not for a diagnose... I haven't decided yet.

My parents told me that when I was around 4 years old I managed somehow to learn how to read all by myself without any support or attending a school. For a long time I had this issue in my head because I can't understand how this can be possible. How can you learn to recognize letters if you don't have any idea about this signs? When I was in primary school I was really obsessed with the entire parapsychology related subjects and at that time I gave myself an explanation that we all have a previous life and sometimes it could happen that you can remember things. As I grew, I couldn’t believe anymore in this theory but until today I wasn’t able to find any answers. Since my early childhood till today I had a serious history of countless other examples of self-learning (like riding a bicycle, electronics, chemistry, programming, photography, etc. )

Does anyone else had the same experience or they know a similar case?

Hello!

I taught myself at age two, using the telephone directory. Don't ask me how it happened; it just did.

Have A Great Day!

Rob

I can't remember a time when I COULDN'T read. My mother said I could read by the time I was three, with no instruction. I can remember when I was in kindergarten, we did all these little worksheets on phonics, supposedly to help us learn to read. They were all amazed that I ALWAYS got everything correct on them, until about April, when they FINALLY realized that it was because I could read well enough already to read the directions on the sheets for the teacher.

Some people have innate abilities. Things we yet understand. You made connections with little intervention.

Did you watch the Letter People, Sesame Street, or had someone read to you? Simple putting finger under the words/letters make the connection for some kids.

Hello!

Same here... I read my first grade reading book in about five minutes on the first day of class. They wondered why I sat there in class with a bored look on my face...

I try not to think where I'd be if I had been educated at my own pace!

Have A Great Day!

Rob

Thanks a lot for your replies. It means a lot for me and I'm so happy that I have discovered this forum.

Unfortunately I don't remember anything from my young childhood...the only picture that I have in my head is that I was in a car with my parents and I pick up a package of cigarette and read to my mom: ASSOS. Recently I was at my parents, for Christmas holiday and this time I asked them a lot of question about my childhood. They told me that in the kindergarten I was able to read books fluently (stories for children) and even my teacher knew that and she used to give me books to read in front of the other kids.

yeah, i did too.
i remember walking into the classroom the day we were going to start learning to read, there were some words/posters on the desk that we would have to read and put on the right directional sign as an exersize.
i still remember asking the teacher why hallway (which happened to be the top one) had an extra 'L' in the word.
the teacher first wondered how i even saw the stack of papers, and directly after realised i already read it perfectly and tried to correct spelling, without him even starting te lesson yet...

I have another question in mind. Do anyone think that this ability is specific for kids that are somewhere in the spectrum? Or it could happen to any other child that are not related to ASD?

This is not specific to aspie kids. It can happen by either hyperlexia, giftedness, or both. Some light hyperlexia if requent among aspies, and giftedness is frequent among WP users. Do the math.

Personally though, I only learnt to read in first grade, and I was late for a while.

I don't have a lot of memories interacting with my parents when I was growing up. Even when I was very young, I was usually left to my own devices. I do remember literally surrounding myself with books even as a toddler. I still prefer reading & writing to any other form of communication. Was reading books by age three, completely self-taught. Later in grade school, my reading scores were off the charts for my age level. I think that some kids just pick up on things. Some can play the piano from 2 or 3 years old, some gravitate towards math. It's not at all uncommon for a child to have a talent. I was the same way with art...I loved it. It was also a skill I learned on my own with little or no encouragement from any adults.

The bad thing is as good as I was at reading/spelling, I was a polar opposite when it came to math skills. I failed math on a regular basis all through school & even college. I have leveled out on my abilities (math has improved somewhat (will never be great at it, but I do get by), reading comprehension is down some). But during school I always frustrated my teachers. If one was good in one subject, they expected one to excel in everything. Unfortunately in my case, I just didn't have that ability.

I learned to read very early and on my own, too. I was reading at age three, and I remember reading along and surprising my teacher when we had story time in the first week of kindergarten. My reading levels always seemed to surprise my teachers, and a few of them actually sent me to have my reading level officially evaluated, just so they would know. I'm surprised that they picked up on the high reading level, but none of them suggested the Asperger's!

To many people have done it to be a mark of having ASD.

Cool! Thank you guys for all of your answers!