Hyperlexia

What is Hyperlexia?

Hyperlexia is a fascinating “splinter skill” where a child teaches themselves to read far earlier than their peers—sometimes as young as 2 or 3 years old—without any formal instruction.

These children are often obsessed with decoding language. They may read street signs, cereal boxes, and books obsessively. However, this mechanical reading ability is often mismatched with their comprehension. This is known as the “decoding/comprehension gap.” They can pronounce the word “photosynthesis” perfectly but may not know what it means or be able to answer a simple question about a story they just read aloud.

Hyperlexia II vs. III

Researchers often distinguish between types:

• Hyperlexia I: Neurotypical children who just happen to read very early (rare).
• Hyperlexia II: Occurs as part of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The reading is an obsession/special interest, often accompanied by social withdrawal or sensory issues.
• Hyperlexia III: Children who have “autistic-like” traits (like sensory sensitivity and intense reading focus) but who eventually “grow out” of the social symptoms and end up as neurotypical, bright children.

Relationship to IQ

Hyperlexia is strongly associated with high memory capacity and pattern recognition (features of high IQ), but because of the comprehension gap, it requires careful educational support. It is a classic example of an asynchronous development profile found in many gifted children.