Hyperlexia

[supersec]

Having read several posts about hyperlexia I have looked up some information about it as I have not heard of it. I am not sure but I think my ds may have it. One of the characteristics is a fascination with number (i think) and he is mad about numbers, can tell the time, i.e. if you say to him we are going out at 11.00 a.m. he will be trying to put his shoes on and standing by the door at 10.55 even if I am not ready and have not made moves to be ready, he counts to three repetitively pointing out things that are in threes and multiples of, generally tho he is non-verbal. We have wondered if he can read to himself as I often find him sitting reading my books (which have no pictures) and when i ask what he is doing he will intimate that he is reading.

 

Any ideas? It has not been mentioned by his Paediatrician - should I mention it to them?

 

Caroline

[Tensing]

Hi Caroline,

 

I have been reading about Hyperlexia a lot recently too, I believe that my Son Hanery may also have it, and again it has not been mentioned by the Peads.

 

Caroline

[bluejean-genie]

Hi Caroline,

My son has not been diagnosed by his Paed with Hyperlexia but the Ed. Psych recently assessed him and then informed us that he certainly has Hyperlexic traits. Nat reads above 17+ years of age but his comprehension is only 10.6 yrs. When little he just started reading with no help from anyone.

Unfortunately in maths his skills are only 9 years of age, I believe from what Nat says he sees no relevance in numbers so he cannot concentrate on this subject also it gives him a really bad headache when numbers are mentioned. sorry if this is of no help.

he is 13 years of age

[Brook]

Hi,

 

I cant help being drawn back to hyperlexia, I remember gasping when I read about it,

the characteristics of it sounded very familiar.

 

Unfortunately it does not seem to be recognised much in this country (UK).

The reason I would like to find out is, that I have read that hyperlexics can benefit greatly with their education, by being taught in a way that relates to their learning style.

Also that the reading can be used as a very useful tool to further skills.

I would be very interested to know if my son has hyperlexia co-existing with ASD.

 

http://www.hyperlexia.org/

 

Brook

[florrie]

I think hyperlexia is a fascination with words not numbers, I'm hyperlexic and read fluently at 2 reading age of 15 at 4, I was considered gifted until I went to secondary school and rapidly regressed so was considered remedial, my comprehension is of a 5 year old which leads to difficulties with abstract concepts which leads to communciation difficulties so the traits in my case are the same as asd, but I've been in contact with a few other hyperlexics and no one is ever the same, apart from early fluent reading. My fluency with language and facts does mask the communication difficulties

[Zemanski]

Com is definitely hyperlexic but his comprehension is at the same level(ish) as his reading so it isn't considered significant.

I think hyperlexia can be either numeric or literary but I suspect there isn't any research on the numeric version as only the literary has so far been fully recognised - Com learns number in the same way as language and is stunning with both but he struggles to record both, it is all in his head.

[florrie]

the definition of hyperlexia is reading ability in top 3% and comprehension in bottom 3%, if reading abilitity and comprehension are the same level, it isn't hyperlexia.

 

check out www.lindamoodbell.com. they do in depth assessments and can tell you, but is very expensive.

[Zemanski]

another artificial cut off? - Com has all the features of hyperlexia except the comprehension problems. He does have problems comprehending some of the more subtle point of view stuff but that's due to mind-blindness not use of language. He had problems with learning to write though - possibly because hyperlexic children can't always apply their reading skills to writing because they don't learn it in a connected way like most kids.

 

I know the theory but it's a bit lke saying you don't have a learning problem because you have an IQ over a certain level, when a lot of our kids blatantly have both.

 

Zemanski

[komunikashun-mpearmint]

Zemanski

I don't think Florrie is trying to cut off anything. Hyperlexia has two aspects very gifted reading ability and very limited comprehension as she describes. Comprehension is not tested in IQ that is verbal ability which is likely to be high because of the hyperlexia and the way IQ tests are constructed.

Diagnosis and treatment of Hyperlexia is very well developed in USA but virtually non-existent in UK and Florrie knows all about that.

There is a problem for people with Hyperlexia visualising and forming things into a whole or Gestalt.

There was a lecture by Nanci Bell one of the founders of Lindamood Bell Learning Resources on Hyperlexia and how they test it and how it affects children.

You will see that their research has profiled several thousand cases and from this they have built a "profile" of hyperlexia. And Florrie has it profoundly but was not identified until she was 40 because it is really easy not to see it because the verbal skills seem good.

[florrie]

Can I just say that I wasn't trying to cut you off I was just trying to explain what it is but not very successfully and that is that is part of the problem, with communicating what you intend.

 

I have an iq just over retarded, but that is because most of it was verbal, non verbal iq is higher, but I still have a degree and my knowledge on learning processes is probably in some areas professor level, because of the amount I read which is 2000 text books a year.

 

Mind blindness is a lack of comprehension so I'm sure your son has it, anyone interested in helping their child with hyperlexia should check out Lindamood bell learning processes, their understanding of the difficulties and how to treat it was truly amazing to me.

[Zemanski]

sorry - nothing to do with you trying to cut me off but there are these cut-offs in diagnostic criteria that mean some people end up with all but one of the symptoms but no diagnosis of anything and therefore no recognition of the problems they have with the other aspects.

 

Zemanski

[florrie]

Zemanksi, I know what you mean it is very frustrating, I went through that for years with with my son, and now my nephew is going throught the same. I personally dislike labels, but I believed it was the only way to access the support he needed, but that didn't happen either, although I think it is getting better for some people

[Ohforaquietlife]

Hello everyone! I'm only a few days on to this site but I think it's great

 

I want to bring this subject up again as it has only recently dawned on me that my son has this condition and it explains why the strategies they are using at his autism-specific unit are working for other children but not for him. According to the American Hyperlexia Association (www.hyperlexia.org )this is a syndrome in its own right although it often occurs with ASD and in many of it's features is indistinguishable. The difference is that these children need a different approach using the incredible reading abilities that they all possess.

 

I'm feeling really frustrated right now as my son's paed says it is just another feature of autism and refuses to recognise it as something subtly different meriting a shift in his diagnosis with consequent changes in his provision. The AHA disagree and at least the paed has said she will read their information which I'm going to send her to back up my "delusional mother" claims but I'm sure she won't change her mind and so for my son, nothing changes. I need to find someone who is working on this condition here in the UK to get anyone with any clout when it comes to an AEN Panel review to take any notice - apparently anything american doesn't count. Sorry any americans who might be reading this

 

I can now see what needs to be done for him but me doing it in isolation is unlikely to get the result that could be attainable. We need the school on side and we need full-time experienced one to one - fat chance!!Does anyone out there have any experience of working with a child with hyperlexia? I'd be really grateful for any input.

 

Thanks

ohforaquietlife!

[baddad]

Hi Ohforaquietlife -

Glad you like the site and are finding it useful

 

Firstly, I haven't a CLUE about Hyperlexia, but everything you (and those 'damn yankees') are saying makes perfect sense.... Isn't it standard practice with AS that you work to the kids STRENGTHS? And Isn't (i.e.) Temple Grandin a shining example of how effective doing that can be?

 

What I CAN say, is that I ran into similar problems with my paed when trying to get my son's ADHD recognised as more than just a co-morbid, and ran into this completely stupid idea called 'the heirarchy of diagnosis'

Over a period of some months, I argued by letter the case for looking at both conditions seperately, rather than trying to lump the two together as being inextricably linked. This involved picking apart HER letters line by line, finding references to undermine them, and sending them back for another bout. It didn't actually help my relationship with the paed very much (though we're OK now!), but it DID actually get her (whether by conceding I was 'right' or because she wanted to get me off her back being irrelevent!) to make the referals I needed...

Different to your situation, i know, but similar in the respect that you HAVE to go through her to get what you want, and there's no one else you can draft in for back up....

I hope you find someone who DOES know their onions on this side of the water (Have you checked NAS site for links, or perhaps autism london?), but what I'd be doing in the interim is resourcing every piece of info you can download (even the American stuff - let's face it, it WILL be relevent in a couple of years time when the new DSM's are published!), and tackling her objections piecemeal...

Hope that's someway helpful

and very, VERY best

BD

[phasmid]

As long as the material your using is correctly referenced and researched I don't see that it should make any difference what country the authour is either from or living in. After all the well known 'world recognised' author on many things ASD is from Australia. I don't see his stuff being dismissed because he didn't write it here!

[Ohforaquietlife]

Thanks Baddad!

 

I know we share the same paed so you know what I'm up against Don't worry, she won't know what hit her when she opens her mail in a couple of days!!!!!!!!

[baddad]

Go get her, tiger

 

BD