During a meeting with our school, the term "hyperlexia" was casually introduced but not addressed in any substantive way. We disagree with this application for a variety of reasons.
Primarily because there isn't a comprehension issue. DS6 can decode pretty much anything at this point. However, his comprehension is limited by his vocabulary. And while his vocabulary is extensive, his reading exceeds it. When given sentences that cover subjects and vocab that he's familiar with (including material beyond grade), his comprehension is fine. When presented with vocabulary that is new to him, he'll guess about the meaning of the sentence, substitute words that he does know or say that he doesn't know.
To my eye, that's a breadth of vocabulary issue, not a core deficiency in comprehension.
Is there a proper way to explain this? Are there downsides to not addressing it?
