Does my child have autism? 

Maybe. Many children with hyperlexia are on the autism spectrum. Some have language processing and social challenges that are not severe enough to qualify for a diagnosis. Darold A. Treffert MD even theorizes that some children who have Autistic-like traits along with early reading actually "grow out" of their autism-like tendencies as they get older. If your child is an early reader who struggles to communicate verbally or socially, it is highly recommended that they be evaluated to confirm or rule out an autism spectrum disorder. Autism is a complicated disorder with many facets. One treatment method or focus will not be supportive enough to address all of their needs. Rather, a Print-To-Speech teaching approach along-side other supportive measures can greatly improve outcomes. 

Is my child gifted? 

Maybe. Late-talker does not rule out a child as being gifted. Many people look for young verbose children and see them as "gifted", but few fully recognize the visual-spatially gifted, the children with amazing memories, or children with early academic prowess, that can go unnoticed without the language skills. On the other hand, some children with early reading ability sprint ahead early with academics only to have peers "catch up" as they enter school. Children with hyperlexia have a complex cognitive profile with a wide range of cognitive strengths and weaknesses. They may fall in the gifted range (90th percentile plus) for visual-spatial and long-term memory skills, but fall in the below average range (less than 16th percentile) for expressive vocabulary. A thorough evaluation from a well-trained evaluator may give parents a greater understanding of their child's abilities, and may help them to develop a game-plan moving forward. For a child with hyperlexia, however, an evaluation at the age of three may look notably different than the same child at the age of ten. Keep a watchful eye on learning patterns and evaluate with a competent evaluator every 3 years. 

Is hyperlexia a disability? 

While hyperlexia often accompanies different challenges in language processing, it is not in itself a disability. It is a precocious ABILITY that can support other forms of learning. Any child should be taught using their abililties and interests to support areas that are more weak. Children with hyperlexia may be at a disadvantage in a classroom where their strengths are not used to bolster their weaknesses, but as Einstein is quoted as saying "...if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will love its whole life bellieving it is stupid." 

A professional told me that my child's reading is "a splinter skill". What does this mean? 

Historically a "splinter skill" has been a term used for specific and surprising abilities found in individuals with developmental disabilities. This might be the ability to memorize math facts, or the state capitals, identify the specific day that a specific date falls on etc. Often times these abilities were seen to have been generally functionless for the purpose of day to day living. A more modern take is that a splinter skill is an innate ability that is far beyond other abilities of an individual, a sign of asynchronous development. While a child with hyperlexia certainly develops in an unusual and even asynchronous way, their skill in reading is, rather than function-less, quite functional if acknowledged and used as a teaching tool. The earlier the better when it comes to using this skill for language and learning! 

I'm told that hyperlexia always includes challenges in reading comprehension. Is this true? 

Many children with hyperlexia, and even more so, kids with hyperlexia and autism struggle with reading comprehension. Several factors determine whether this is the case for specific hyperlexic individuals. The foremost factor, and one that Hyperlexia By the Book is working to promote, is whether print is used communicatively in a hyperlexic child's early development. The sooner meaning is fed to a child through print, the earlier they are able to make connection between meaning and print. Early readers will continue to be readers, but how they are exposed to print will impact whether they learn to simply recognize words, or whether they read for meaning. 

I'm told that if a child does not learn phonics they are not really reading. Is this true? 

Many children with hyperlexia learn the sounds of letters as well as print letters early. Phonics, however, can sometimes create confusion at first because children do not see meaning in the sounds and sound blends they are learning. Hyperlexia By the Book is not anti-phonics, but believes in a back-door avenue to phonics teaching. Teach the word first and then teach the child how to break down the word to individual sounds as their print vocabulary goes. Many children with hyperlexic gain a strong enough phonics and spelling ability as they are exposed to print that they never need structured phonics. Others benefit from phonics, if anything, because it helps with pronunciation of specific words. 

Can my child be cured? 

Many parents ask this question about many challenges their children have. When it comes to hyperlexia, the real question is, what should they be cured of? If it is early reading ability, many parents pay significant amounts of money on reading programs for preschoolers only to have their child enter kindergarten simply knowing some of their letters. Parents who have kids with hyperlexia find their children reading early and well, but worry what this says about their future social ability and language ability. It is important for ALL parents to aim for a high quality of life for their children. It is OK to celebrate a child's abilities and recognize weaknesses as they arise. 

My child doesn't read words, but loves letters, are they hyperlexic? 

Maybe. Early hyperlexia often begins with letter recongition. That said, early childhood is often full of obsessive interests for every child. Children may move from letters to dinosaurs to cars over the course of a year or two. If your child has mastered all letters and letter sounds and still LOVES letters (Like they are his or her best friends) and if they have a language delay or communication difference then it is possible that they are hyperlexic. Even if they are not reading words, it wouldn't be bad to introduce them to your child. It may help boost their language ability!