Hyperlexia Support Group

Hi, im 19 years old and i have Hyperlexia. I know what you're thinking, 19 years old and he has Hyperlexia, thats quite unusual since Hyperlexia is only observed in children. I dont mean to be rude here, but the people you're talking to about your son have no idea what they're dealing with. I was diagnosed with Hyperlexia when i was 17, so you can imagine what i've had to go through growing up. Your son can read well but he cant understand what he reads. When hes older he will have serious problems communicating like i do, but the good thing is, you can help him now before he reaches his teenage years, because Hyperlexia is fairly new, not many people know much about it, your son will learn best with images, graphs, charts, tables etc. He is a massive visual learner.

I dont mean to sound big headed here but i know more about this than a lot of people with children that have Hyperlexia because ive had it for so long, i know what its like to go through life and its really hard. The best advice i could give you is confidence, if your son is forced into situations where he HAS TO talk then thats how he will learn to overcome his communication flaw, it might not show now, but it will when he gets older.

I can read a book and pronounce the words better than anyone else i know but half of what i read i dont get. So i have to read the sentence over and over again until i get it. The biggest chanllenge is to get your son to overcome his communication barrier because he does have one and you will see it soon. So i want you to force him to do things that will give him confidence i.e. martial arts when he gets older, anything that will give him confidence because i cannot tell you how hard it is in the teenage years with this condition, it is so hard for me to express what i feel, it feels like someone is holding their hand over my mouth and whatever i do it wont go away, think of the worst time you got nervous, thats what its like everytime i try to speak aloud.

I know more than any psychologist does and more than young children do about the condition, the educational psychologist i saw said i am extremely rare to have this condition at my age and to only be diagnosed with it when i was 17. I really think their should be more help for people with this condition and people without it dont understand whats its like they think its a good thing because their children can read well but its not a good thing. I can read well, better than anyone i know but that doesnt make up for the communication skills i lack. I was reading an article on Hyperlexia and it said something like this "a child with Hyperlexia could be seen as a struggling genius" i was so angry with that when i saw it. If only they knew. Dont get me wrong, i am quite intelligent and your son will be too. But like i said before that dont make up for the communication flaw that Hypelexic children will have when they get older, now i dont know what kind of help they offer in the U.S but take all the help you can get. Your son wont like working in groups, he'd preffer to work alone, he learns best with images and he will be able to spell words very well and you should notice that when he hits 4, 5 or 6. Good luck with your son and i hope what i've said here will help you. Im one in a million thats what the psychologist said.

My mom's favorite story about me is how I taught myself to read at the age of 2. I'd heard this story so many times that I assumed it was some kind of tall tail because, after all, what kid reads at 2? She was convinced I was some kind of genius but after early testing, we found out that I am in fact of merely average intelligence. I routinely failed at reading comprehension despite learning to read at such an early age. I had a very hard time making friends and the few with whom I'd have brief friendships were often bullies or other lonely children even more insecure than me.

I'd love to tell you that my childhood eventually got better, but then I'd be lying. The truth is that I didn't really find myself until after college. I ended up working in the video games industry and it turned out to be the best possible world for me because my abilities caused my co-workers to somewhat forgive my eccentricities and I found a sort of acceptance. That's not to say that I've become socially accepted, but I'm not bullied as much anymore - that's a major improvement. Well, that and I can support myself financially. I guess that is actually the best part because of all the things I'd feared I would become as I grew older, I've never wanted to be a burden to anyone.

I'm sure your son will be just fine. If ever you find him rocking in the closet after a hard day, rejoice! It means he's figured out that he can't do it in public and he's on his way to being a "normal" kid. Best of luck!