Information on hyperlexia?

[sidmand]

DS was diagnosed with PDD-NOS a few months ago, but all of a sudden we find out he knows all his letters, etc. We thought it was a good thing (:)), but after doing a bit of research online, it sounds a lot like hyperlexia. I can't figure out though, is hyperlexia likely INSTEAD of PDD or in addition to it? Are there different ways we should be teaching him (like can we use the hyperlexia to jump start other types of learning)? Should we NOT be encouraging letters and words, etc.

Is there a good source (online or other) that you have found? I found a few websites with descriptions and like I said, quite a lot of it sounds like DS, but I'm not quite sure where to go from here (he does have a speech therapist and ABA services and I'm going to talk to them as well, but just wondering if there was something I could do in the meantime).

Debbie
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[Gena]

My son has Hyperlexia and medical diagnosis of PDD-NOS. Most kids with hyperlexia are on the autism spectrum. So it's appropriate to say that your child has PDD-NOS with Hyperlexia.

Hyperlexia is am amazing and wonderful gift! You are right to think it is a good thing. It provides you with a very powerful teaching tool: the written word. Typical children learn to speak by just being exposed to verbal language, but need to be taught how to read. Kids with hyperlexia learn to read just by being exposed to the written word, but need to be taught how to use verbal language. So it is a very different learning style and you need to make full use of that.

My son started to sight read soon after he was two, but didn't start to talk until he was 2.5. By the time he was 3 he had figured out phonics. Now at 3.5 he can read almost any word he sees. So we write everything down for him. We teach him verbal language by providing him with cue cards. We use social stories to teach him everything from potty training to how to behave in church.

There are some great resources for parents of hyperlexic kids. You have probably already found the website for the American Hyperlexia Association, but if not it's: http://www.hyperlexia.org/ There's a lot of great info there.

I highly recommend the book When Babies Read. I love this book. It's got really good info on how to make use of hyperlexia as a teaching tool and has activites you can add into your ABA therapy. Another god book is Reading Too Soon, which had a lot on understnding these kids unique learning style. Both books are available on Amazon or can be special ordered at most book stores.


http://www.amazon.com/When-Babies-Read-Hyperlexia-High-functioning/dp/1843108038/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-7995014-4953713?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193838902&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Too-Soon-Understand-Hyperlexic/dp/0963792105/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/102-7995014-4953713?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193838902&sr=8-2


There is an excellent yahoo group for parents with hyperlexic kids. the people there are amazing and very supportive.

Kids with hyperlexia are truely wonderkids. While they do have many challenges they also have some very special gifts.

I hope that helps.

[sidmand]

Hi Gena,

Thank you very much for the links and information. I thought I had remembered that you mentioned hyperlexia, but at the time I wasn't that familiar with it (that was only a couple of weeks ago, I think!).

I will definitely check out those links and books. I myself read a bit early, so I think it's kind of cool that DS likes letters and words. I was hoping that it was okay to think it was kind of cool though! I'm glad it is.

It's funny (or maybe typical?) because right about the time DS started naming all the letters in the alphabet he also started talking more. He really only had a handful of words up until a couple of weeks ago, but all of a sudden he's getting more and more. When he spelled out "B-A-B-Y W-I-P-E-S" on the changing table, I actually started to think I must have imagined it!

Debbie
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http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev110pr___.png[/img] (][img)

[Gena]

>When he spelled out "B-A-B-Y W-I-P-E-S" on the changing
>table, I actually started to think I must have imagined it!


That's so cool!

Our first clue of hyperlexia was when Hubby and I walked into the living room and saw "MICHIGAN" spelled out with the letter blocks. We asked each other "Did you do that?" DS was 2 and totally non-verbal. The next day he used the letter blocks to spell out "HELICOPTER" and "MOTORCYCLE". We realized there was something unusual going on.

A fun thing you can do now is use index cards to label objects around the house: door, bookcase, sofa, table, etc. It will probably delight your son and he may pick some more new words.

Also, letter toys & DVDs are helpful. Leapfrog makes some products that are great for hyperlexic kids. The Fridge Phonics are a big hit here, as are the "Talking Letter Factory" and "Talking Word Factory" DVDs.

[sidmand]

I don't think DS could spell out anything like that yet! That's pretty neat though.

The index cards is a great idea. My SIL runs a daycare and actually has labels on everything kind of like that. I never thought of doing that yet though.

We do have the Fridge Phonics, "Talking Letter Factory," and I just bought "Talking Word Factory" (we also have a stuffed Leap that talks and plays interactive games). DS loves the Fridge Phonics and the Talking Letter Factory. We've only tried the word one once and so far it wasn't such a big hit (yet). I've actually been looking for letter toys recently (ever since I realized DS reallys seems to like them) although we've had the Fridge Phonics and first DVD for awhile now, but it's only been just recently that DS has seem fascinated by them.

Debbie
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http://tickers.baby-gaga.com/p/dev110pr___.png[/img] (][img)

[VClute]

DS already knows his letters, too - and has, for quite some time. I had never even heard of hyperlexia until seeing this thread. I googled it and it sounds JUST like DS. I'm thrilled that this may be a way to help him learn. Thanks so much for mentioning it!

His speech eval is tomorrow (he was just dx'd on the spectrum last month) and I'm excited to discuss this with the therapist. Thanks again!

Amy in NC
mom to Dixon, born 2/14/05
...and Abigail Rose, born 4/7/07

[cchavez]

DS has SPD and at 18 month he knew month of his letter. At two he was spelling out words that he would see such at KROGER, STAPLES. He was never diagnosed as hyperlexic and I actaully don't think he met the true definition for hyperlexia...he just really loves letters/words. Right now at 4.5 yrs., he reading skills are still emerging. A show that DS loves in World World on PBS....good luck!