Here's What I Learned About Hyperlexia

[@relentlessrhythm2774]

This makes so much sense! Despite being able to read hard words as a child and teaching myself to read in foreign languages, I have always struggled to comprehend. I fit the criteria for hyperlexia 3.

[@midlifemulligan6505]

I grew up in a small town in Nova Scotia, we lived way out in the middle of nowhere. I can't remember how often, but I think it was about once a month, a bus would roll up at the end of the driveway. It was called the Book-mobile, a service offered by the town library for rural kids. It was literally my favourite day, getting to sift through all of the books and pick out new ones to check out, it was the best! I, like you, could fit the bill for this, but I also could not. I was reading at a higher level and struggled with comprehension, but it wasn't a super high level. As far as teaching myself, I taught myself most things by watching my older siblings. I had four of them, so I think that's why I picked it up so easy as many of them were avid readers too.

[@ichigowiththeflow7680]

Great job! and thank you for giving us your time. It's truly prescious to share knowledge.

[@therachelisticchannel]

Thank you! 😊

[@racheln8563]

I don’t know if I had hyperlexia, but according to my mother I was reading at three, and by the time I started school, I was several years beyond my grade level. My style of thinking is so tied to the written word that I think in text. That is, I literally see text when someone speaks to me, much like a ticker-tape kind of display. Unfortunately, that means that my entire life my comprehension of spoken words suffered a bit, to the point I often have to have people repeat what they said, even when I heard them perfectly well.

[@wenderajade]

We figured me out because I was reading at 3 and speaking in full sentences, but this sounds super hard to figure out as an adult if your parents don't have specific answers for you. Reading aptitude varies so much in adults and there's no real milestones so to speak. I feel like I'm in the average range of reading ability as an adult right now despite the hyperlexia. No one would have ever known if my mom hadn't said anything during my autism assessment

[@jossaler525]

This was really helpful for me to start to learn about Hyperlexia... thanks! I relate to some of these traits, so I'll take a look into it :)

[@MistySie]

I feel like hyperlexia 1 would probably be more likely in late diagnosed autistic individuals. For example if I'm reading something I'm going to reread a phrase or paragraph until I can rationalize and make sense of it which would show better comprehension than blowing over it because I don't want to think that much about it. As far as being taught to read, my sister would read captain underpants and another of my favorite books to me until I knew it by heart and I'm pretty sure it was in 1st grade I started reading it to myself (captain underpants are approx grade 3-5 level) by memory and looking at the words and pictures and putting it all together and the rest is history. As for level, I read the entire series of unfortunate events by the time I was in 3rd grade and the books are rated around 5th-12th grade level. By the time I was in 6th grade I refused to read any book that didn't have a high school level dot on it because it wasn't challenging enough. All the way from elementary school through high school I would read myself to sleep every night. So if we're estimating, I was probably consistently reading between 2-6 levels above my grade level. In conclusion, this video was very neat and informative and thanks for giving me something else to think about and research more on. 😊

[@therachelisticchannel]

I’m glad you enjoyed the video! ☺️

[@pensivelyrebelling]

My son has hyperlexia, though I didn’t know until I learned in the past year that it exists. It’s been really cool to see how he has evolved in his reading since we figured out he knew how (at an appt with his speech path!)

[@diannewilson6996]

Love the video 💗✌🏾

[@therachelisticchannel]

Thanks! ☺️

[@TheWilliamHoganExperience]

How about this: As an undiagnosed autistic and ADHD but also IQ gifted child, I failed to learn to read in first grade, and had to repeat first grade as a result. Back then, reading was taught in two ways: "Look-say" and "Phonics". I failed the "look say" approach, but quickly mastered "phonics" and was reading at a 12th grade level by 3rd grade, but also had difficulties with spelling, and handwriting which I still do. Not grammar or writing though. I have a combination of gifts and deficits in art and math as well as music and social functioning. Autism is frustrating like that - every gift seems to be subverted by some deficit. Then again, every deficit is compensated for by some gift. The key is to embrace and leverage the gifts (passions) while recognizing, accepting and managing the deficits carefully. Above all else, don't try to be "normal". Conformity is crushing for the autistic.

[@therachelisticchannel]

Yes I totally agree! We should only strive to be ourselves, not “normal”.

[@TheWilliamHoganExperience]

@@therachelisticchannel Yes. The problem I have had thoughout my life is not being accepted for who I am - starting in my own family, which is full of other autistic people (undiagnosed and unaware). I didn't know I was autistic. I knew I was different, but ascribed that difference to my high IQ score. Autism explains much more, and is a much more accurate description of who I am from a nueropsychiatric standpoint. I don't need "fixing" anymore than I need to fix my race or sexual orientation. It's how I'm wired. I'm a good, honest person that whishes nothing but love and acceptance for everybody alive. Being human is hard enough without getting bullied by your fellow humans. So now I'm slowly coming out about my diagnosis to people in normal social settings. I'm trying to be careful about how and who I do it with, so as not to be off-putting / over-sharing. I figure I owe people that much. I figure after that, the ball is in their court. I'm also trying to figure out how to educate people about Autism, and specifically how it tends to affect my social behavior, and how to best support me in such settings. I figure I have a lot to offer people socially, if I'm accomodated and accepted. I guess I'm a super-rare rareity - an Aspie who's pro-social! =)

[@sueannevangalen5186]

That was a great video and very relatable to me. I'm not sure I have hyperlexia or not either. I don't remember learning to read so I can't say whether or not I learned through teaching. I also don't know if I was reading above my age level. I do remember being in grade 2 and finding all the books in the classroom library EXTREMELY easy to read. I reached the goal of reading 100 books while some of the kids in the class had only read one or two. So I was obsessively into reading at a young age and that is still with me. I also know I taught myself spelling and grammar rules by reading a lot. So I can relate to not being sure and wanting to know more before saying "I'm hyperlexic." In my opinion, though, I think it sounds like you are hyperlexic. Maybe it's easier to see it in other people than it is to see it in oneself 😊

[@zhanzhengxisupremacy]

Being able to read at the age of 4 before others and reading books 24/7 but now the adhd makes it horrible to even open a book (I doze off) even if it's interesting

[@robynfromcanada]

This is interesting! Like you, I don't think I read at an advanced level as a kid. I love books! But I also notice that I enjoy reading complicated material, like Shakespeare or Jane Austen, because it's like a puzzle to assemble the meaning! Maybe that's what it was like to learn as a kid too: a puzzle. 👍😊

[@anjachan]

I dunno. I learned reading very fast and good when I was in first grade.

[@kathryncollins8708]

me too

[@johnsantavicca5016]

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plesiadapiformes

[@johnsantavicca5016]

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plesiadapidae