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I was doing some research today and came across the definition of hyperlexia:
The presence of advanced ability to read compared to the ability to understand spoken language.
Children with hyperlexia have 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; and abnormal social skills, difficulty in socializing and interacting appropriately with people.
Hyperlexia may belong in the autistic spectrum along with autism and Asperger syndrome.
I have found through teaching Xander that this description, originally part of his diagnosis does not fit him. In fact, he is still having trouble in the letter/number recognition. While his recognition of some words has greatly improved, he still has no clue why the letters work together to make a word.
This made me wonder if he might have the opposite of hyperlexia so I did more searching. Dyslexia is the exact opposite of hyperlexia. Dyslexia by definition is:
A specific reading disability due to a defect in the brain's processing of graphic symbols. Dyslexia is a learning disability that alters the way the brain processes written material.
Two commonly held beliefs about dyslexia are that children with it are prone to seeing letters or words backward, and that the problem is linked to intelligence. Both beliefs are incorrect. The problem is a linguistic one, not a visual one, in dyslexia. And dyslexia in no way stems from any lack of intelligence. People with severe dyslexia can be brilliant.
The effects of dyslexia, in fact, vary from person to person. The only shared trait among people with dyslexia is that they read at levels significantly lower than typical for people of their age. Dyslexia is different from reading retardation which may reflect mental retardation or cultural deprivation.
The treatment of dyslexia should be directed to the specific learning problems the person has. The usual course is to modify teaching methods and the educational environment to meet the specific needs of the individual with dyslexia.
The prognosis (outlook) for people with dyslexia is mixed. The disability affects such a wide range of people, producing different symptoms and varying degrees of severity, that predictions are hard to make. The prognosis is generally good, however, for individuals whose dyslexia is identified early, who have supportive family and friends and a strong self-image, and who are involved in a proper treatment program.
This seems to be the better fit. I never made the connection with dyslexia because I always thought it meant that letters and numbers would be upside-down and backwards. This means we have our work cut out for us, BUT it also narrows the list of how we should be teaching him regarding reading and writing.
Xan has his next appointment next week with his primary care physician here so that I can get the referral process started to a new psychologist and then some specialists that will help teach me how to teach him. I will also be trying to get him into a local ABA program and occupational therapist. It appears our resources are far more vast than what we had available in Georgia.
I am excited to get started! And I need to get the 'hyperlexia' off of his evaluation...
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6 Comments:
You are right that there is no relationship between dyslexia and intelligence. Dyslexics may be below average,average or above average. Because it is easier to diagnose the brighter dyslexic the below average dyslexics is often not even evaluated to become eligible for any help that is available.
Seeing backwards is not common among dyslexics with visual problems that make reading difficult. More common visual problems are those where letters are obscured ( appear to be missing) , where words are moving or lines of print drift together or seem to fall off the page. These types of visual dyslexics also have a higher rate of poor depth perception.
While only a minority of dyslexics have visual problems rather than the more common dyslexic problems associated with processing language , the resulting difficulty with reading because of visual problems results in a slow rate of reading with errors and poor comprehension which after all is what defines dyslexia.
The idea of what dyslexia is ( or causes dyslexia ) and reporting about dyslexia is constantly changing and unfortunately all prior research seems to be thrown out. Dyslexia is a complex syndrome with many different causes that usually results in specific problems that vary widely in individuals. This is why it is common to see long lists of problems that are related to many different factors associated with dyslexia with the comment that if many of the problems relate to an individual then that person may be dyslexic.
I sell See Right Dyslexia Glasses at www.dyslexiaglasses.com that I claim will remove any described visual problem that makes reading a battle for dyslexics. Most dyslexics don't have visual problems that make reading difficult and see the page in a clear, focused and stable manner. Many dyslexics do have visual problems that they can describe that make reading difficult and those dyslexics when they use my dyslexia glasses see an increase in reading rate, improve accuracy and comprehension and are able to read for extended periods of time which for some was impossible before using the glasses.
Good luck with your appoinment!
I am dyslexic (i wish they had nade that an easier word to spell!)as is mosy of my family. I wasnt diagnosed till an adult so had no help. Both my sisters who are 19 years younger than me were diagnosed and got the right support. They both have PhDs!
Hmmmm, I've never heard of hyperlexia, but it sure fits my G. We're going through the evaluation process right now for his suspected Aspergers. Thanks for sharing this information.
Good post and I agree. One thing I have learned about is that they listen selectively and sometime acts like or appears to be deaf.
Jim
L. might have dyslexia as well--we're waiting for evaluation results. This has been a huge struggle for him--he still "mirror writes" somewhat, although this has improved with LOTS of work. He also has trouble with Math, ass he has difficulty lining the number up. He consistently tries to add from the left column to the right, instead of starting with the right column.
I can't imagine a child going through school with this undiagnosed. Even with all his supports, his self-esteem has already suffered a blow.
My younger is dyslexic and my older is hyperlexic. This is common in my family, as I was hyperlexic (still am) and my three brothers and one sister were all dyslexic. They had a tough time but they made it, with tons of OT, PT,speech and multiple approaches to learning and sensory work. He'll get there!
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