I posted about my daughter here but now I have a question about my son.
He was born reading. I don't know exactly when he learned to read. All I know is when he started talking, we realized that he was able to read too. Not just reading, but counting, naming complex shapes, colors etc. He was also diagnosed with PDD-NOS due to his sensory issues and speech delay, but I believe his hyperlexia was a big part of his dx, because of how unusual it was and because there was a distinct difference between his receptive and expressive speech and his decoding ability.
Studies suggest that this isn't a true giftedness and this decoding ability of his is a disability, instead of a superability and testing IQ in these children before the age of 10 isn't recommended because the research shows that the reading ability doesn't continue to advance at the same rate as in the typical children and by the age of 10, the reading advantage is completely gone (Yale). Anecdotaly, the verbal and visual spatial IQ of these children can change dramatically over the years, not because the hyperlexic child gets less intelligent, but because typical children's verbal and visual abilities catch up and get ahead.
After five years of therapy his PDD-NOS dx was removed, based on ADOS, and now at 7, he looks like an NT kid with some weird interests and oversensitive nature. He is 7 now and just finished the 1st grade. So far he does great in all areas, but I just don't know if this is going to stay like that.
If you have a hyperlexic child, what has your experience been like? Can you be hyperlexic and truly gifted? He was never tested and knowing that his IQ may not be stable I just don't want to do it yet.
Last edited by Chicagomom; 07/01/16 12:38 PM.
