Some People with Autism Have Hyperlexia

Some individuals with autism have something called hyperlexia, which means they have an aptitude for reading words but struggle to comprehend the content of texts. I am autistic and I strongly suspect I have some form of hyperlexia myself. I learned to read and write at the age of three and quickly learned to spell without errors, but I have difficulty understanding what texts are about.

I Thought Difficulties Were Due To My ADD

During my neuropsychiatric assessment, I initially believed my reading difficulties were related to the concentration problems associated with my ADD. I tried various central stimulant medications, including Ritalin and Concerta, but to no avail. I didn’t become a better reader. I soon realized that the problem couldn’t be due to concentration difficulties, given that I only struggled with texts whose content didn’t interest me. When the texts were about my special interests, such as autism, I had a very good reading comprehension ability.

My Problems Have Been Extreme

Most people can probably relate to the difficulty of understanding texts that don’t interest them, but in my case, it’s been extreme. I often don’t even understand what the text is about, and it doesn’t help if I try to focus and force myself. I just don’t understand the basic message of the text!

I Couldn’t Answer Simple Questions

When I was in school, my relatives would ask me about the historical periods we were studying in history class. I didn’t understand what they meant. When they clarified and asked if we were learning about the Middle Ages, World War I, or something else, I had no idea. And this was despite having read the books. I had just memorized sentences without understanding anything the texts were about!

I Had Problems At University

Since language and grammar are among my special interests, I once tried studying languages at Stockholm University. But unfortunately, I had to drop out because of all the literature we had to read about the history and poetry of different countries. I couldn’t grasp the content of the texts, and those subjects were mandatory parts of the language studies. I was really angry at myself for not being able to force myself, but I did my best and it still wasn’t enough.

I Have Sometimes Missed Several Chapters

I have often received books as gifts that I felt obligated to read. Usually, I haven’t been able to understand their content at all, despite trying to put a lot of effort into it. If I get to choose the books myself, I don’t have those problems. Sometimes, I can’t understand certain parts of a book while having no trouble understanding others. It doesn’t help when other people want to discuss the books with me and I’ve completely missed several chapters!

Autism Can Lead To Hyperlexia

If a person with autism struggles to comprehend a text, it doesn’t necessarily mean they have dyslexia, lack motivation, or are lazy. It could very well be that the person has hyperlexia and can therefore read technically well but still struggles to grasp the content.

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