hyperlexia - more info (new member)

The reason I can say with certainty that hyperlexia 3 does exist is because of the path I have seen my four year old son take.  When my son taught himself to read at 2, and seemed to only be able to understand things by reading them, I didn't think of it as a good thing.  He had all these words and yet was a delayed speaker.  His speech therapist is the person who brought up hyperlexia and even then I just took it to mean visual learner.  Before I knew what HL really was, I tried to take the books and letters away from him. I was afraid it would stop him from speaking.  I was very wrong.  When I researched it, I came across Phyllis Kupperman who taught us that HL's learn to talk through reading.  I did find this to be true because when my son couldn't say something verbally, he would read it, understand it and then be able to connect it to oral language.  If I had known when he was two that an early self taught reader was HL, I would have been able to help him much sooner.  I am not the mom who thinks my son is a savant, however, I do understand that teaching yourself to read at two is an extroidinary skill.  It is also the way he learns.  He is also outgrowing the other characteristics that seem to make people think it's ASD.  However, some kids will not outgrow those characteristics, but they still learn by reading.  HL isnt' just a skill, it is a way of learning.  If I can help families out there better understand their children and how to help them, then I can rest easy knowing they can help their children quicker than I was able to help mine.

The reason I can say with certainty that hyperlexia 3 does exist is because of the path I have seen my four year old son take.  When my son taught himself to read at 2, and seemed to only be able to understand things by reading them, I didn't think of it as a good thing.  He had all these words and yet was a delayed speaker.  His speech therapist is the person who brought up hyperlexia and even then I just took it to mean visual learner.  Before I knew what HL really was, I tried to take the books and letters away from him. I was afraid it would stop him from speaking.  I was very wrong.  When I researched it, I came across Phyllis Kupperman who taught us that HL's learn to talk through reading.  I did find this to be true because when my son couldn't say something verbally, he would read it, understand it and then be able to connect it to oral language.  If I had known when he was two that an early self taught reader was HL, I would have been able to help him much sooner.  I am not the mom who thinks my son is a savant, however, I do understand that teaching yourself to read at two is an extroidinary skill.  It is also the way he learns.  He is also outgrowing the other characteristics that seem to make people think it's ASD.  However, some kids will not outgrow those characteristics, but they still learn by reading.  HL isnt' just a skill, it is a way of learning.  If I can help families out there better understand their children and how to help them, then I can rest easy knowing they can help their children quicker than I was able to help mine.