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Hyperlexia

Hyperlexia

Hyperlexia is a syndrome observed in children who have the following characteristics:

  • 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
  • Abnormal social skills, difficulty in socializing and interacting appropriately with people
In addition, some children who are hyperlexic may exhibit the following characteristics:
  • Learn expressive language in a peculiar way, echo or memorize the sentence structure without understanding the meaning (echolalia), reverse pronouns
  • Rarely initiate conversations
  • An intense need to keep routines, difficulty with transitions, ritualistic behavior
  • Auditory, olfactory and / or tactile sensitivity
  • Self-stimulatory behavior
  • Specific, unusual fears
  • Normal development until 18-24 months, then regression
  • Strong auditory and visual memory
  • Difficulty answering "Wh--" questions, such as "what," "where," "who," and "why"
  • Think in concrete and literal terms, difficulty with abstract concepts
  • Listen selectively, appear to be deaf
These children need to be identified because they have to understand the common way in which they process language, understand the common way in which they learn, to assess strengths in visual processing and reading and to devise effective therapeutic and educational programs.


 

FAQs

Is it a disorder?
Currently considered an Autism Spectrum Disorder, there is much discussion among families dealing with this condition on the validity of that placement. Hyperlexia is generally considered to be a splinter skill of autism, PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder), or other disorder. There is also hyperlexia as a stand-alone disorder where the children truly do not belong under any other umbrella. Children with standalone hyperlexia, share so little with the Autism Spectrum that it truly clouds the issue to include it.

Hyperlexia does share many characteristics of autism in the early days: inability to make meaningful eye contact, inability to build relationships, tantruming, screaming. These facts alone will cause some to jump to a diagnosis of autism.

Therapies available: There are varied techniques that can be used with hyperlexics to develop general speech language and daily communication.
General Principles of Speech and Language Therapy:

  1. Use written and visual models
  2. Use patterned language
  3. Use open ended sentences
  4. Generate rules
  5. Use examples rather than explanations
  6. Use rote learning
  7. Teach one way, then reverse the procedure
  8. Teach specific pragmatic rules
  9. Use parents a co-therapists
These general principles are applied to specific language learning objectives in therapy.

Specific Language Intervention Techniques:
  • Use written and modeled patterned language to request and label
  • Expand labels (objects and actions)
  • Expand speaking situations (pragmatics and use)
  • Teach specific language concepts
    • Response to question forms (wh-, yes/no, inverted sentences)
    • Asking of question forms (including wh-, yes/no, inverted sentences, and requests for clarification, repetition or information)
    • Verbs, prepositions, pronouns, plurals, tense, negation
    • Making associations (What goes with; categories; same/different; how are they the same/different; what does not belong.)
    • Cause/effect, consequences (if/then), what if.....
    • Sequences (first/next/last, before/after, temporal words)
    • Attributes and descriptors
    • Multiple meanings, analogies, idioms
    • Making choices
  • Teach how to explain/describe
  • Create narratives and dialogues (dictated, written and verbal)
  • Teach how to argue and tattle
  • Practice rules of conversation. (Write specific rules)
Language for Behavioral Intervention:
Children with the syndrome of hyperlexia have difficulty listening, complying with rules and interacting with their peers. These children tend to be aloof from other children since they do not know what to say to facilitate interactions. They have trouble listening to group instruction and frequently do not understand the explanations and reasons why certain rules exist. Because of this, these symptoms may resemble those of behavior disordered children, but actually the language disorder and unusual learning style is what is interfering with their ability to comply with rules. Indeed, standard behavioral interventions usually do not work with these children. The following suggestions are usually given to teachers and parents:
  1. Write behavioral rules
  2. Write sequence of activities to aid in transitions
  3. Write and model appropriate things for the child to say
  4. Use a positive reward system. (Punishment generally doesn't work.)
  5. Use if/then consequence pattern when this language form is learned
  6. Specifically teach flexibility.
Teaching Pragmatics and Social Use of Language:
These children often have difficulty learning how to relate to their peers. Giving them specific dialogues to follow and helping them learn what to say within social situations is effective. Teach how to make friends and be a friend.