What exactly is hyperlexia?

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i had much the same issue in classes. and libraries tick me off because i hardly ever finish a book before it's due, and i don't like to give things back to the library. math has always been an issue for me; i am unable to do any computations above a second-grade level, and even with a calculator that is tough for me...

I'm extremely good at math, but it just takes me a lot longer than students of the same skill level. One time in engineering physics at Uni, my brain couldn't take anymore and I couldn't decipher the 4 page equation I had been solving for the past hour. I knew what the numbers were, but couldn't relate them to the context of the physics problem. I blanked out and could not even retrace my steps. Needless to say, during an exam like that, you're screwed if you mess up part way through. I had a Visual Basic course where the same thing happened. That's why I left the sciences and never even considered computer programming. It's because I can memorize anything, but probably don't always learn the MEANING. That'a s fundamental flaw and I used to get ashamed of it. Who cares if I know how to solve an equation if I can't apply it to something... useless... even if it is a talent.

i'm envious of your ability. i have been told by advisers that i should stay away from anything involving numbers, but that's everything. so, my options are very limited.

hyperlexia is one of the forum moderators.

Sometimes you can have reading comprehension with it though, and I don't understand how it is seen as a disability. How is it a disability that I can go from illiterate because of double vision, to reading 2000 words a minute at a University level within a week a disability?

Funny, because I have both dyslexia and hyperlexia and this ended up being the case.

My son was labelled as hyperlexic and it was explained to me as the ability to read words without understanding, and prior to expressive language development.

My son could read before he was 2 (not taught by me) but didn't say words until he was almost 5. At the time, he could spell words, but didn't write what he was thinking. Interestingly, his language developed the same way: originally he was just saying words, but not using it to communicate (he would just repeat words after you). His reading now is still lacking understanding. His receptive language is poor, and if you write instructions down on paper, he does a little better, but not much better, so he's not fully understanding what he's reading, but he can read it all out loud just fine. Just like now he can repeat your verbal instructions out loud just fine but has no clue what you're asking him to do. He has a fantastic memory. We tested him one time when he was around 8 and he could repeat I think it was 17 random numbers after hearing them once, and he still knew them several hours later. The kid's got a gift...but it's not a very useful gift!

This is my understanding of it as well, although did your son lose all acquired language at around the age of two? I didn't, even though I was reading dinosaur names before going to school, according to my mother.

I was under similar circumstances as a child. When my school began shortly after my family moved to America, I learned how to read English very quickly and speak English very quickly, but I could never tell you what I meant, nor express anything in the right way.