what is hyper lexi a

8/13/2019 What is Hyper Lexi A

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HyperlexiaHyperlexiaHyperlexia is a syndrome observed inchildren who demonstrate the follow-ing cluster of characteristics:

A precocious, self-taught ability to readwords which appears before age 5, and/oran intense fascination with letters, numbers,

logos, maps or visual patterns.

Significant difficulty in understanding anddeveloping oral language (i.e. language isfirst delayed, then different once itemerges).

Unusual or different social skills; diffi-culty interacting appropriately with peersand adults.

What is Hyperlexia?

Hyperlexia is a syndrome, which interferes with speech,language and social interaction. It may be accompanied byunusual or different behaviours. Children exhibit an

intense fascination with letters, numbers, patterns, andlogos, and a very precocious ability to read, spell, writeand/or compute usually before the age of five.

These children may show the following behaviours:

Form close relationships with chosen family members and/orfriends.

Demonstrate the intent to communicate.

Learn to speak in a peculiar way; echo or memorize the samesentence structure; echo speech of others; reverse pronouns.

Listen selectively; may be suspected of being deaf or seemtuned out.

Have difficulty understanding and/or answering questionsbeginning with: who? why? what? when? where? and how?

Rarely initiate social conversation.

Think in concrete, literal terms; have difficulty with abstractconcepts.

Possess very strong auditory and /or visual memories.

Have an intense need to develop or keep to routines in dailylife; sometimes showing ritualistic and/or obsessive behaviours.

Have difficulty understanding and/or accepting changes andtransitions.

Develop specific or unusual fears.

Display unusual sensitivities to sounds, odours, tastes or tex-tures.

Exhibit self-stimulatory behaviours.

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Assessing the ChildWith Hyperlexia

Note an intense fascination with letters and numbers in childshistory.

Observe use of reading ability in assessment using magneticletters, allowing the child to print words with crayons, andadministering a basic reading test for children that can readbeyond a Grade One level.

Test letter and number knowledge, assessing decoding,spelling, comprehension, noting discrepancies and to whatextent the discrepancies are a problem.

The clinician would also make modifications to the test pro-tocol such as writing answers for a child who spells at a high level

but cannot print letters at that level. Allowing the child to manip-ulate letters, and provide opportunities for success by posingquestions in a multiple choice or closure format will also be mod-ifications that can assist the child in showing what they know.

Allowing the child to manipulate letters, and pro-vide opportunities for success by posing questionsin a multiple choice or closure format, will also bemodifications that can assist the child in showingwhat they know.

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How to Identify Hyperlexia

Hyperlexia can be identified in children with a wide range of languagedelays/disorders. hyperlexia is not a diagnosis in of itself. At this time, itis not listed in manuals used for psychiatric or psychological diagnosis.

Hyperlexia can be identified in children with:

Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Autism Disorder, AspergersSyndrome, Semantic/Pragmatic Disorder, Mixed Receptive-ExpressiveLanguage Disorder, Specific Language Impairment/LLD, ExpressiveLanguage Disorder, and in children with neurological signs such asseizure disorders, agenesis of the corpus callosom and Touretts syn-drome.

Research has shown that children with an identification of Hyperlexiahave a better prognosis than most other children with any of the abovediagnoses and no Hyperlexia.

The identification of Hyperlexia is a practical label. If the parents, ther-apists and teachers understand how the child learns, they can developstrategies to help the child succeed.

Children with Hyperlexia have a unique learning style. Effective tech-niques that have been developed for hyperlexic children include the useof the printed word and the specificteaching of language and social skills.

Testing is a static process. Assessmentis a dynamic process, and interpreta-tion is very important. The assess-ment process usually involves andinterview with parents and observa-tion of the child, using standardizedtests when appropriate. The follow-ing is a list of what a clinician wouldlook for and implement in an assess-ment and identification of the syn-drome of hyperlexia in a child.

If parents, therapists

and teachers

understand how

the child learns, they

can develop strategies

to help the child

succeed.


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Language Developmentin Hyperlexia

Language development may be best viewed within a frame-

work of communication. Children may find it easier to attend to,and grasp language information that they see, better than thatwhich they listen to, and meaning is often difficult to attach towords. Common areas where language problems occur:

Understanding and using language functionally:

Difficulties are exhibited in the following areas:

Processing: auditory, visual, and/or other sensory stimuli.

Children may, for example, find it easier to attend to, and

grasp language information that they see, better than that

which they listen to, and meaning is often difficult to attach towords.

Formulating: organizing thoughts into meaningful and

accurate language structures.

Expressing oneself: through spoken, printed and/or gestural

modes. Motor planning issues may be compounding

language difficulties.

Comprehending the intentions of others:

Through their words and language.

Through emotions and expressions.

Being able to convey ones own intentions:

Through understanding oneself.

Having the ability to attach labels to thoughts.

Having the neuro-motor functioning and planning; ability to

program the words/language into speech.

Doing this in an emotionally and behaviourally appropriate

and social way.

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Additional methods of assessment:

Note unusual use of language such as chunk quotations from

videos.

Note unusual development of language such as: learning language

from music and videos, good auditory memory, poor receptive

knowledge and poor language processing.

Assess visual memory strengths and visual conceptualization using a

standardized test such as the Leiter International Performance Scale

and the visual portion of the Wide Range Assessment of Memory

and Learning.

Identify behavioural idiosyncrasies such as perseveration and resist-

ance to change. Identify which perseveration and obsessions are

helpful, and explore ways to reduce anxiety.

Evaluate social differences, noting relationship with peers versus rela-

tionship with (and affection toward) family members.

Strengths can be used to supportlearning at school, and to help devel-op recreational skills. By identifyingweak areas, school curricula can beexamined and remedial techniquescan be implemented. Also, one canidentify weak areas that should bebypassed to reduce frustration.

The goal of an

assessment is to

determine the

strengths and

needs of the

whole child.


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Developing an EffectiveCommunication Program

Some factors to consider in developing a communicationprogram:

Develop the intent to communicate.

A lot of communication is preverbal and nonverbal.

Recognize that many of these children have difficulty connecting

their thoughts and feelings to means of expression.

Processing difficulties often hinder understanding.

Cognitive factors: be aware of those that are specific to the child.

Sensory issues: sensory reactivity within different modalities canaffect learning and lead to misinterpretation.

Emotional component: sensitivity, reactivity, etc, can affect process-

ing, especially when in low or heightened states.

Communication involves interaction.

Weave social language development into many levels and spheres of

the childs program as early as possible.

Communication will tend to develop its own inherent rewards if it is

purposeful and enjoyable.

Use an integrated approach.

Development is constantly changing.

Try to obtain the support that you need (physical, emotional, educa-

tional, financial, professional).

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The HyperlexicLearning Style

The hyperlexic child presents the following

Characteristics:

Strong visual memory, especially for the written word.

Gestalt processing of language, stores and retrieves chunks orphrases of language.

Processing system breaks down when these chunks must bedissected and rearranged to form original thoughts.

Echoes language without modifying it appropriately.

Constantly looks for and finds patterns in the environment.

Children with hyperlexia will not pick up language from the

culture around them, so they must be taught very specifically. The child will pay more attention to your note than to your

voice.

Strategies are built on a three-step process:

1) Understanding the hyperlexic learning style.

2) Observing and listening to the child to find the holes in lan-guage development.

3) Creating concrete, specific activities that use this unusuallearning style as a way of filling up the holes.

Developing Language is the key tounlocking the child with hyperlexia.


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Parents and TeachersWorking Together

How can I help my childs teacher?

Provide copies of CHA materials such as: What is Hyperlexia?

The Hyperlexic Learning Style

Selected Strategies

The Reader

Reading To Soon and The Hyperlexia Handbookcan also be excel-lent resources, but remember that a teacher may not have the timeto read books initially. Perhaps copies can be provided to the teacher

so that he/she may keep them as references throughout the schoolyear.

Provide information specific to your child:We have found that the most effective way to present information ona childs specific characteristics is to categorize them, as follows:

Sensitivities/Fears: List them with the types of behaviours to expectand how to accommodate for them.

Transitions/Changes: Note what type of changes are of concern, thebehaviours to expect and effective coping strategies.

Structure/Organization: State your childs system of organizationthat provides him/her the most comfort.

Language: Give information on expressive and receptive levels,speech-language therapy and the techniques the therapist uses, ifapplicable.

Cognitive Abilities: Discuss attention span, distractibility, impulsivity,perseveration, memory, organization and problem-solving.

Academic state: Reading level (word recognition vs. comprehen-sion), verbal language, written language, math concepts and gener-al knowledge.

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Social: Note the developmental level and describe type ofplay, conversation skill, and what helps your child socialize.

Emotional: Describe your childs confidence level, self-esteem,coping strategies, and what relaxation techniques are helpful.

Physical: Provide information on fine/gross motor skills, bodyawareness, sensory integration, information on occupationaltherapy and techniques the therapist uses, if applicable.

How Can The Teacher Help Your Child?

Every child is unique and exhibitsdifferent strengths and needs.

Along with the general character-istics demonstrated by childrenwith hyperlexia, which may beaddressed via various environ-mental adaptations and teachingand specific instructional strate-gies that are of import for yourparticular child. Through sharinginformation with your childsteacher, early in September, youempower the teacher to act moredecisively and rapidly in providingthe necessary conditions to maxi-mize opportunities for growth. The ideal situation is continualand active consultation between parents and teachers regardingobservations and analysis of what provides the optimal situationsfor the child, how the child is capable of performing in the opti-mal situation, and what strategies are required for optimal inter-vention. A proactive and collaborative approach enables all par-ties to anticipate and prepare for the childs responses to a newschool year with the numerous changes, and to attempt to cir-cumvent possible difficulties.

Sharinginformation with

your childs

teachers will help

them in providing

the necessary

conditions for

growth.

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