hi juliekd
The letters/reading is not the problem, its the self-stimulatory, repetetive part that is. And doing self-stimulatory, repetetive behaviors is just one piece of the autism diagnosis and not every kid on the spectrum does it (though they have to have something atypical that fits in the "behavior category")..
Also hyperlexia is not a trait of the autism spectrum disorders, and is not official "diagnosis" on its own. When in the context of the spectrum, it is usually used when describing a self-stimulatory, repetetive, behavior that has to do with letters and reading. A friend of mine has a child who used to draw letters in the air, over and over.. even when people were trying to interact with him. The letter-drawing activity was preferred over the interaction. Then he would sometimes talk about the letters being different colors,etc..He then became a very early reader but his comprehension is less than age-appropriate. He was diagnosed with mild autism that seems to be the right thing for him and he's thriving in a school program for high-functioning autism.
For you i'd just look at it as a "piece" that might fit or not. I would really focus most on the social interaction, and not as much on the behavior or language. After reading "misdiagnosis and dual diagnosis" book and relfecting on my experiences with my own son (age 7, PDD-nos).. that the social piece is the key deficit for the spectrum.. issues of language and behavior can have other causes. Watch for things like joint attention, social reciprocity, following peers, etc..
irene
