Helping children with autism and hyperlexia learn to understand what they read

Hyperlexia is a condition where preschool children display an intense early interest in letters in a way that is very advanced for their age. They can decode words accurately, but without understanding their meaning. It is most common among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) - with approximately 6-20% of children with autism demonstrating hyperlexia. There is a lot of debate in the literature as to whether these children learn to read like their older, typically developing peers. Findings from an earlier McGill study indicated that children with autism and hyperlexia appear to be following their own, unique pathway towards literacy rather than developing literacy skills in the same way that typically developing children do when reading. This has implications for reading instruction in the early years. The same researchers from the Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology at McGill University have now developed a tablet-based application designed to build on the children's strengths to help them improve their reading comprehension.