Wondering about Hyperlexia...

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I was wondering- is it considered hyperlexia if a child begins to learn to read age 5- but then reads at a reading age far above their actual age at around 5/6 after being stuck in a more stable environment (stopped moving schools, began to comprehend the accent of peers and teachers after moving)? They spoke english, yes, but for some reason, if it was pronounced differently to what they were used to, for a fair bit of the time they wouldn't understand, before learning how to later.

This also includes the child teaching themselves how to spell in spanish from a children's dictionary before age 5, and at 7/8 teaching themselves Japanese (with a particular fascination of katakana, hiragana etc). From then on, an obssession of languages, e.g. learning over 30 at a time, including alphabets and grammar and obscure vocabulary. Yes, the selective hearing and a fair few of the other 'symptoms' I've read up on were present (they even sent the kid for multiple hearing tests). There was also never a stage of mixing 'similar' looking letters like d and b.

So, would you say they had Hyperlexia, or no? As there's no official criteria (I don't think), we can't know with absolute certainty, but informed opinions and educated guesses are welcome.

You're right. As far as I know, there is no one official criteria for hyperlexia. But I would look for similar pattern to how we define dyslexia. That would make sense for me. That means that they need to be at least two grade levels ahead in reading level then their age group. So, I would think, with a 5 year old, that he/she should be reading on a 3rd grade level, maybe only a 2nd grade, but probably a 3rd grade level.

Also, hyperlexia implies a great love of reading. That it's hard to stop them. That they read, read, read without being prompted or assigned a reading project.

What you are describing sounds like more than hyperlexia to me. It sounds like this boy has a talent/genius for languages.

You have to be careful when trying to discern if a kiddo like this is on the autism spectrum. They need more symptoms that are more global than just language issues in order to be considered ASD. A child with a genius for languages would be expected to develop differently than those of us with typical or autistic language developement. Basically, a kid who is gifted (genius) at languages is going to do it THEIR way because their brain processes language differently.

On the other hand, a child who is simply talented with languages will learn in the same way as everyone else, just very quickly. The child you describe has an intense interest in multiple languages and challenges discerning when something is a new language or just a new accent. That's more indicative of giftedness in languages than a talent. But that's one of those clinical things that require knowing the child.

Yes, that sounded like her- I remember her moving up 2-3 reading levels in a couple weeks when they got stuck in with reading and used to their new school. It led to an enthusiasm of reading about 50+/100+ stories a week (but that may have been a few years after). She was definitely reading levels above the rest of her class, her teacher said.
Thanks for the input.

Last edited by Feanor on 01 Jan 2017, 6:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

Haha, I'm sure she'll be very flattered you think so of her but she's roughly 10 years older now! The reasons I think she has Asperger's include her having no language delay, restrictive interests, odd eye contact and oddly enough, good imitation skills in social situations but still extreme difficulty making new friends- until she was about 6 and a half, she didn't have any- and relative difficulty interpreting other people's emotions. Having to be explicitly told social rules even into adolescence, saying something rude but thinking it was polite, etc.

One brilliant example I've learned to try to laugh at over time, was when a teacher began crying over some destroyed piece of property that she loved, and the children all watched and walked by her saying comforting things to her as they proceeded to the next room. The girl we're discussing just repeated what she'd heard on a TV cartoon the other day (not that she really understood the meaning) in what she thought was a similar situation- "You'll get over it". To be fair, it was meant with the best of intentions , it just didn't turn out that way when the teacher started yelling.

I feel like I can relate but when I searched up the definition, which says that the child has an early proclivity for reading, I then realized that I didn't learn to read until I was in first grade, which is rather embarrassing to tell you the truth. However, I have been delayed in other areas and continue to suffer heavily from math (and other abstract thought processes) difficulties which leads me to believe that if not for intellectual disability that I face I would've perhaps learned to read much earlier on. I know very little on the topic so if anyone who happens to be versed in this science please feel free to correct me, thanks.

Is that when you began to learn properly- or just started? I think her mother got her to learn by rote how to spell words when she was very young, like her name and others. Maybe yours did that with you. I don't think it's embarrassing to learn when you did- I heard that in Finland (a country supposed to be at the top for education) , they don't start school until about 7. Not sure when they learn to read. Slow and steady wins the race, right? Intellectual problems may have been why you didn't learn to read until then, but then maybe you just weren't as interested in books then- not many are at that age , and that's not necessarily a bad thing

I had a lot of the features of hyperlexia: early love of books, reading at an advanced grade level from first grade on, despite not knowing English in kindergarten and an intense interest in languages (I got straight As in Spanish in high school, despite knowing very little before and am currently interested in Serbian and Russian). I had a lot of the classic features, except that I didn't talk late and was very social before I began school.

I also forgot to mention, as you said, that I wasn't really interested in reading. I have always had a lower motivation than others but I had a fascination with letters and sounds, really odd. Also was fascinated with astronomy since birth till age 14-15 or so.