Hyperlexia
Hyperlexia is the early, often spontaneous ability to learn to read before the expected age, frequently without formal instruction, in children with autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions. The child learns to decode words very early, but comprehension of what's read may not keep pace with decoding ability.
Hyperlexia type 1: neurotypically developing children who learn to read very early. Hyperlexia type 2: autistic children with spontaneous early reading (the most widely discussed type). Hyperlexia type 3: children with autistic traits who eventually "catch up" to typical development.
Hyperlexia can be both a strength and a challenge: strong decoding ability can be leveraged in teaching (learning through text rather than verbally), but the gap between decoding and comprehension needs to be identified and specifically addressed.
💡 Practical example
Isabela started recognizing written words at 18 months, without anyone teaching her — she read product labels and book titles. By age 3, she read fluently. But when asked about what she'd read, she often struggled to explain it in her own words — comprehension didn't keep pace with decoding.
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