Some hyperlexic kids, such as my son, spontaneously started writing early too. It's referred to as hypergraphia in the hyperlexia literature.
And while my son taught himself how to write around age 2.5 to 3, he also had this intense need and urge to write and doodle. Even as a teenager you will find him constantly drawing and scribbling down words, especially on his beloved Boogie Board.
So, how do you support a hyperlexic child with hypergraphia, both as a small preschooler and as they grow? And how can we lean into this strength to support other areas of need? Well, that's what we're going to cover below.
How to Support a Hyperlexic Child with Hypergraphia
If your hyperlexic child also learned to write early and has an intense need to write or draw, here are some ideas for supporting them going forward:
1. Let Them Write!
We want to encourage their writing as much as possible by providing plenty of opportunities to write and by using varied mediums. Offering a variety of materials, tools, and surfaces will keep the writing new and engaging while allowing them to experiment in different ways.
That might mean offering a variety of paper options from notebooks and sticky notes to scrap paper and index cards. However, it is worth mentioning that when your hyperlexic child has the constant urge to write, you will go through a ton of paper. Trust me on that!
So I highly recommend having a variety of reusable writing surfaces on hand. Things like chalkboards, whiteboards, Boogie Boards (my son's personal favorite!), and Magna Doodles (my son's favorite before we got a Boogie Board!).
You could also try offering a variety of writing tools, such as bath crayons, window markers (see my boys using them here and here), sidewalk chalk, and scented markers to offer new sensory experiences.
In terms of opportunities, keep writing materials accessible and available in a variety of different places in your home (or the classroom). For instance, we have whiteboards all over the house and always bring a small whiteboard or Boogie Board when traveling. Providing free access to scrap paper in the classroom or at home is another idea that the Canadian Hyperlexia Association has recommended.
2. Honor Their Preferred Methods of Communication
We really need to lean in and embrace their attempts to communicate through writing, similar to how we approach echolalia in hyperlexia. That means treating their written text as a valid voice and connecting through print instead of relying solely on speech. For instance, you might let them respond to questions in writing. Or you could try writing back and forth on a shared whiteboard (or whatever their preferred method is).
The goal here is to recognize that communication can take many forms. Writing just happens to be one avenue your child might prefer over others.
3. Reframe Writing as a Useful Tool, Not a Compulsion
To those unfamiliar with hypergraphia, the child's urge to write might be viewed (and labeled!) as a compulsive or obsessive behavior that needs to be stopped or extinguished.
However, it's incredibly important to recognize that their hypergraphia is a strength. A strength that can be used to support language, learning, regulation, and so much more. Similar to their early reading skills, their early writing ability is a useful tool, not a behavior that needs to be limited or redirected.
Obviously, if they are writing on walls or damaging surfaces, then, of course, they should be redirected to a more appropriate outlet. So you might need to set firm boundaries in this case. Otherwise, just let them write and leverage it when you can.
4. Redefine What Art Looks Like
For hyperlexic kids with hypergraphia, filling a page with letters, numbers, or words is their art and a form of expression. Their art can certainly look quite different from their peers who might be drawing specific objects like a sun or house, while a hyperlexic child might write out the actual words sun or house.
The point here is that you might have to ditch your predefined notions and traditional expectations around childhood art. Don't force them to draw pictures or objects if printing text is their natural preference. Instead, you should be celebrating their text-based art with the same enthusiasm you would give to any other childhood drawing.
5. Offer Alternative Ways to Write (Without Relying on a Pencil!)
Some hyperlexic children have motor delays or they might get fatigued quickly from physical handwriting, especially when they're so young. These motor delays or fatigue can lead to frustration because they can't fulfill that intense urge to write, print, or draw.
You can try offering a variety of alternative ways and adaptive tools for them to write, including typing on a keyboard (like the time J, who at 3 years 11 months, typed out a big list of words on an old Blackberry we had!), opening up a Word document and just letting them type, stamping words with letter stamps, using a label maker, or arranging magnetic letters. These alternative options let them focus on what they love most without getting stuck or limited by other challenges.
6. Pair Spoken Language with Written Supports
With hyperlexic kids, you likely already know how crucial writing things down is for anchoring spoken language. After all, spoken words disappear, while print words stay put. So when your hyperlexic child also has hypergraphia, you have an incredible opportunity to create these written supports together or even let them create them independently.
For instance, let them write out the morning routine as a checklist on a whiteboard or encourage them to write out the grocery shopping list. They could also write out scripts of things to say in different social situations.
Earlier I mentioned writing back and forth on a whiteboard (or similar). Doing so while you speak to them provides a visual anchor to help them process spoken language.
7. Use Fill-in-the-Blank and Cloze Formats They Can Write In
Both the Canadian Hyperlexia Association and the Hyperlexia: Therapy that Works Manual highlight how incredibly helpful cloze statements and fill-in-the-blank formats are for hyperlexic kids. They remove the overwhelm of broad, open-ended questions and give the child structure they can use.
When they also have hypergraphia, they have the skills needed to physically write in the missing words or phrases rather than trying to come up with a spoken response. By providing a physical blank space for them to fill in, you are leaning into their drive to write and encouraging them to use their writing skills as a way to communicate.
8. Use Writing as a Tool for Self-Regulation
Many hyperlexic kids with hypergraphia write out lists, sequences, words, or numbers repetitively when they feel overwhelmed. For them, writing can be a way for them to regulate. After all, print is predictable and grounding.
So, you might find it helpful to keep a small notebook, mini whiteboard, or Boogie Board in your child's sensory kit, calming corner, or backpack for on-the-go regulation. I mean there's a reason we always bring a reusable writing surface (usually my son's Boogie Board) when traveling!
9. Support Perfectionism & Frustration Around Mistakes
Perfectionism is definitely common amongst hyperlexic kids. So, for those who also have hypergraphia, they might find minor mistakes in writing, such as a spelling mistake or a letter that doesn't look quite right, distressing or dysregulating.
For this reason, using reusable writing surfaces, such as whiteboards or Boogie Boards, is indispensable for these kids. After all, a quick wipe or a simple button press can clear the mistakes instantly without worrying about eraser smudges or torn pages.
Another way to support perfectionism and any resulting frustration from things not looking perfect is to use alternative tools or outputs that allow you to easily fix mistakes. For instance, typing on a keyboard gives you access to grammar/spelling checkers, autocorrect, and delete/backspace buttons, all while using uniform fonts.
Other options to consider here are using tracing boards, letter stencils, or magnetic letter boards to help them get the consistent letter shapes they are looking for.
10. Understand the Urge to Finish the "Whole" Gestalt
One thing you might notice with hyperlexic kids is how difficult it can be to transition away from a task before it feels done. It's almost like they have to complete it a specific way or ensure the entire set is complete (e.g., arranging all of the letters alphabetically without a single one missing). They might get upset if you disrupt their play at letter P, for instance.
This all ties back to their gestalt cognitive processing, where they take in ideas, language, events, and sequences as a whole gestalt. They often cannot move to the next task until the gestalt is complete and may become distressed if you disrupt it.
So it's important to recognize that this can happen with their hypergraphia as well, where they have to write out the whole gestalt before they can move to the next thing. In other words, they can get stuck in a bit of a completion loop where they feel they must finish writing whatever it is they're writing before moving on to the next task.
Instead of trying to force them to stop, try offering a concrete finish line (e.g., write to the bottom of the page) or using a written pause button by marking where they stopped with a written promise to return (e.g., "Paused here. We will write the rest at 1:00 pm.").
11. Build Social Connections Through Writing
Since hyperlexia is often accompanied by social differences, we can use their early writing ability to support this area of development as well. For instance, you can try encouraging your child to write birthday cards, thank you notes, or even letters (or emails or texts!) to friends and family.
One thing my hyperlexic son did a lot when he was younger was write signs and place them all around the house. It was such a simple and joyful way for him to connect and communicate with everyone in the family. (I miss the sign days to be honest!)
The best part about building social connections through writing like this is that it removes the pressure of things like eye contact, tone of voice, or fast-paced spoken conversation. Instead, writing allows them to connect in a way that feels safe and natural to them.
12. Support Comprehension Through Writing
Comprehension challenges are a hallmark of hyperlexia, but we can use a child's early writing skills to strengthen their understanding of text and abstract concepts. Some ideas include:
- Writing lists or filling in Venn diagrams (or other graphic organizers) to compare and contrast objects
- Jotting down any questions or thoughts they have while reading a text
- Drawing pictures of what they're reading to aid with visualization
- Mapping out a sequence of events in a story
- Sorting abstract concepts (e.g., facts vs. opinions, literal meanings vs. figurative idioms)
- Labeling content (e.g., diagrams, emotions, objects)
13. Advocate for Written Accommodations at School
Another thing to consider is how to support their hypergraphia in other environments, such as school. It's possible that their constant need to write could be mistaken for a lack of focus (i.e., "not paying attention!") or dismissed as just doodling. However, their writing is often a tool for processing auditory information and regulating their nervous system.
So it's important that you advocate for your child to make sure their hypergraphia is seen as an asset rather than a distraction or behavior that needs to be eliminated or redirected. Some examples of what you could ask for include:
- Having access to a small whiteboard or scrap paper at their desk
- Allowing them to answer oral questions or participate in classroom discussions in writing rather than responding orally
- Incorporating graphic organizers into daily assignments
- Providing the option to show what they've learned through written reports or typed answers instead of spoken presentations
14. Create Custom Books
Another option is to have your hyperlexic child create their own custom books. Keep in mind that it doesn't have to be a story. These custom books could take the form of comics, fact books, social stories, dictionaries, drawings of their favorite logos or elevator buttons, or testing out writing alphabets in different languages or fonts.
And don't be surprised when they spend just as much time writing out a detailed table of contents, a copyright page, a barcode on the back, and, of course, page numbers for their custom book!
Remember, you don't need anything fancy to get started. You could fold and staple some paper into a little booklet, use a blank notebook from the dollar store, or type it out in a Word document.
A Quick Recap of Tips for Supporting Hyperlexic Kids who have Hypergraphia
As discussed above, there are lots of different things you can do to nurture and support your hyperlexic child's early writing skills. For instance, you could:
- Let them write by providing plenty of opportunities and different mediums
- Honor their preferred methods of communication by connecting through print
- Reframe writing as a useful tool, not a compulsion
- Redefine what art looks like
- Offer alternative ways to write (without always relying on a pencil!)
- Pair spoken language with written supports that you create together or that they create independently
- Use fill-in-the-blank and cloze formats they can write in to reduce overwhelm
- Use writing as a tool for self-regulation
- Support perfectionism and frustration around mistakes
- Understand the urge to finish the "whole" to avoid disrupting the gestalt
- Build social connections through writing
- Support comprehension through writing
- Advocate for written accommodations at school
- Create custom books
Which of these tips will you be trying first?
