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Original poster

Is very early reading (hyperlexia) a sign of ASD?

66 replies

Lilytherabbit · 05/12/2022 12:59

Just that really. Or is it normal for some NT kids to just be very early readers.

My sister (undiagnosed ASD) who is almost 50 now and who struggled in school and life (she lives in a different country where diagnosis and support were completely unavailable) taught herself to read around the age of 3, but then struggled at school due to her lack of confidence and a crazy teacher who didn't understand what was wrong with her.

OP posts:
Daisychainsandglitter · 05/12/2022 17:43

I'm not sure but anecdotally my DD who is autistic learnt how to speak and read at a very early age.
She taught herself how to read. No idea how but it took her longer to understand and comprehend what she was reading meant.

Choconut · 05/12/2022 17:47

Hyperlexia is often a sign of ASD but not always. For the pp's saying it's a sign of ND not just ASD, I'm racking my brain to work out what other ND diagnoses could follow hyperlexia??

Lovemusic33 · 05/12/2022 17:52

Both my DC’s learnt to read (recognise letters and words) at the age of 2, both were given reading books at nursery even though dd2 was non verbal until 3.5, she could follow written instructions and write some words. Both DD’s diagnosed with ASD, both now teens, eldest doing English lit at uni, youngest more severely autistic but a total maths whizz.

Schlaar · 05/12/2022 17:54

I am autistic and could identify the alphabet at 18m, and read by age 3. I was never taught, I just picked it up. My son (not diagnosed as autistic) is still learning to read at age 5. It’s difficult process for me to understand because I was never taught to read myself so I’ve never gone through this before!

PinkPink1 · 05/12/2022 17:57

RunLolaRun102 · 05/12/2022 17:09

3 isn’t considered early reading. 1-2 is. And it can often be because these kids get more screen / book time to help their parents cope. Example the majority of my DNs have ASD. But all of them; whether they had ASD or not, had hyperlexia because the only way they wouldn’t constantly fight each other was if they were watching Blippi / TV / playing games on the tablet & they just picked up reading from there.

Another DN in India has ASD too - she used to throw her toys around, constantly break them or use them to hurt her baby sister. So her Mum replaced them all with books & by 1.5 DN had taught herself to read and write.

3 is an early reader, especially one who is closer to 3 than they are 4. We’re talking reading and understanding sentences (and being able to write too) rather than reading the odd word.

Coralpop · 05/12/2022 18:13

PennyRa · 05/12/2022 17:03

ND children aren't normal, they are special, and that's ok

Show quote history

No, they have a neurodiversity, which isn't abnormal in itself. My DD has autism. She isn't abnormal.

PennyRa · 05/12/2022 18:21

Coralpop · 05/12/2022 18:13

No, they have a neurodiversity, which isn't abnormal in itself. My DD has autism. She isn't abnormal.

Show quote history

Special needs isn't a bad thing

Phrenologistsfinger · 05/12/2022 18:25

I taught myself to read approx 3-4 and I am definitely not autistic but I do have ADHD.

Phrenologistsfinger · 05/12/2022 18:26

(Hyperfocus, innit)

SolarEcrisp · 05/12/2022 22:34

FunctionalSkills · 05/12/2022 17:13

I taught myself to read. I did understand most of it though but I had the hobbit and Lord of the rings in my bed when I started school.i remember I didn't follow a the names of battles.

However my daughter is autistic... I suspect there's a whole generation of bright autistic bookish women who weren't diagnosed as appeared to behave well in class. Many of whom could be on mn...

I think there will be a LOT of autistic women in mumsnet, it is a lot easier to converse on a message board than in real life if you have an ASD

thelobsterquadrille · 05/12/2022 22:41

I'm autistic (diagnosed in my twenties) and I was reading from a very, very young age and was always several years ahead at school.

As an adult I don't read much at all.

whirlyswirly · 05/12/2022 22:42

I was about 18 months old when I learned to read. By 2 it was fluent and I read storybooks.

I have a very peopley job and am told I'm emotionally intelligent. I think I have very mild asd traits but I don't score highly in the online diagnostic test.

Ds is likely on the spectrum. He read at 3.

PennyRa · 05/12/2022 22:46

Choconut · 05/12/2022 17:47

Hyperlexia is often a sign of ASD but not always. For the pp's saying it's a sign of ND not just ASD, I'm racking my brain to work out what other ND diagnoses could follow hyperlexia??

ADHD, OCD, and a few others I can't remember right now

justanothermanicmonday21 · 05/12/2022 22:49

I think it depends if it's just reading words from repetition or if the child is actually understanding what they are reading. I've worked in a nursery and there have been a couple, one who was just very bright, very involved parents and understood what she was reading and one other who could read full sentences but couldn't tell you what was actually happening in the book - the latter had additional needs.

RunLolaRun102 · 05/12/2022 23:33

PinkPink1 · 05/12/2022 17:57

3 is an early reader, especially one who is closer to 3 than they are 4. We’re talking reading and understanding sentences (and being able to write too) rather than reading the odd word.

Show quote history

Yes in India metropolitan areas many kids are reading / writing in three languages (state / home language + basic english) by 3 as it’s often a pre-req before you can start nursery. DN was doing this, self-taught, by 1.5 & then paraphrasing and explaining what she’d read which is early even by Indian standards which, combined with the tantrums, is why her asd diagnosis got flagged. Otherwise mild / moderate asd gets ignored a lot by doctors there.

But having said that there are probably a lot more 2 year old Indians out there with hyperlexia who don’t have asd.

RunLolaRun102 · 05/12/2022 23:37

justanothermanicmonday21 · 05/12/2022 22:49

I think it depends if it's just reading words from repetition or if the child is actually understanding what they are reading. I've worked in a nursery and there have been a couple, one who was just very bright, very involved parents and understood what she was reading and one other who could read full sentences but couldn't tell you what was actually happening in the book - the latter had additional needs.

Kids often build reading skills through rote learning at first. Occasionally you could have someone with a photographic memory like I suspect my son has - he will look at a book, make you read it by pointing to the letters as you go, and then will read it back to you. Not sure if he’s ‘reading’ but if you ask him to spell words / tell you what they mean he has it all memorised including phonics so it’s as good as. So in a nursery setting both behaviours are entirely normal.

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