Hyperlexia and being sensitive
Hey everyone, I'm new here. I'm 20 years old, living on my own in Missoula MT, and I have hyperlexia. Here is a summary of what it is:
Hyperlexia is a syndrome observed in children who have the following characteristics:
A precocious ability to read words, far above what would be expected at their chronological age or an intense fascination with letters or numbers.
Significant difficulty in understanding verbal language
Abnormal social skills, difficulty in socializing and interacting appropriately with people
In addition, some children who are hyperlexic may exhibit the following characteristics:
Learn expressive language in a peculiar way, echo ro memorize the sentence structure without understanding the meaning (echolalia), reverse pronouns
Rarely initiates conversations
An intense need to keep routines, difficulty with transitions, ritualistic behavior
Auditory, olfactory and / or tactile sensitivity
Self-stimulatory behavior
specific, unusual fears
Normal development until 18-24 months, then regression
strong auditory and visual memory
Difficulty answering "Wh--" questions, such as "what," "where," "who," and "why"
Think in concrete and literal terms, difficulty with abstract concepts
Listen selectively, appear to be deaf
I have some trouble in social situations. I've improved greatly over the years, but the issues are still there. I'm not perfect at picking up some social queues, when listening to others I tend to zone in and out, I'm not good at telling the difference between teasing, sarcasm, and someone just being a dickhead, I get offended easily, I'm not always confident in myself, and I have the fear of people hurting/killing me if I go out in public (depending on the location sometimes).
Basically, I'm not sure where to start. I want to get past these issues, so what would any of you recommend?
Thank you
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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but TODAY is a gift. That's why its called the present."
I would suggest firstly that you have a proper assessment done. I had hyperlexia as a kid, but I couldn;t get supports for it since it wasn't...and still isn't an actual syndrome (not in the DSM, the huge book of recognized disorders). You may have to be assessed for Asperger Syndrome, which is very similar to what you are describing BUT you can get accommodations and support for it, which is the main thing you may need at this point.
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Given a “tentative” diagnosis as a child as I needed services at school for what was later correctly discovered to be a major anxiety disorder.
This misdiagnosis caused me significant stress, which lessened upon finding out the truth about myself from my current and past long-term therapists - that I am an anxious and highly sensitive person but do not have an autism spectrum disorder.
My diagnoses - social anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
I’m no longer involved with the ASD world.