I recently commented on a discussion about hyperlexia in a Facebook group where the person was seeking more information about it. They were trying to understand how early reading could possibly be viewed as a problem.
It was a good question.
Well, the early reading itself isn't an issue.
Either is the intense fascination with letters.
So what exactly is the problem here then?
See, the thing is, hyperlexia is so much more than early reading. And it's more than just an intense fascination with letters. There are issues that accompany this precocious self-taught reading and that's what I want to touch on here.
Incomplete Definitions of Hyperlexia Might Be Leading to Confusion
It's quite possible that a lot of the confusion around hyperlexia is that, oftentimes, people are given incomplete definitions about what hyperlexia is in the first place.
They are led to believe that hyperlexia is just early reading that is self-taught.
But there's more to it than that.
Hyperlexia is defined as having three main traits or characteristics, one of which is the early ability to read. It's the other two traits or characteristics that really define the issues or problems of hyperlexia. This is what the person in the Facebook group was really trying to discover and learn about.
The two traits that often get left out of definitions - or overlooked - are the difficulties in acquiring, understanding, and using language and the difficulties with social interactions.
And that's where the so called problems lie.
So What are the Issues That Accompany Hyperlexia?
Most of the problems that hyperlexic individuals encounter stem from their difficulties with acquiring language. So here is a list of some of the issues that are quite common in hyperlexia:
- Issues with comprehension
- Difficulties understanding and answering WH questions
- Difficulties processing what is said to them (which is why they're often described as selective listeners)
- Abstract language and inferences are tricky for them to understand
- Picking up grammar rules doesn't come easy or naturally so they need to be taught specifically
- "Learn expressive language in a peculiar way" (source: Hyperlexia: Therapy that Works)
- "Echoes language without modifying it appropriately" (source: What is Hyperlexia?)
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