Hyperlexia difference to AS/HFA

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I can't for the life of me find information spelling out what the differences are between the two conditions.

Apparently hyperlexia is very often present in people with ASCs, and some professionals believe hyperlexia is an ASC itself.

Having read the blurb about hyperlexia it sounds just like AS/HFA and I can't see what the difference is, does anyone know?


http://www.autismkey.com/hyperlexia/

I believe hyperlexia is considered a learning disability, and it should be "the opposite of dislexia": good decoding abilities but poor comprehension.
According to wikipedia (I have read this somewhere else though, I just can't find it):

Interesting. I never knew of hyperlexia until now, but now I'm wondering if that's what I had. Looking into it now and wouldn't mind more information.

Well I did learn to read around the age of 5 without being taught, and I do have trouble with using language verbally, like I can describe things much better in writing than I can verbally and sometimes its hard for me to understand or follow other people talking...or at least comprhehending it all can be difficult.

However my reading comprehension is fine as far as I know, so yeah not sure If I'd fall in that category or not. Not sure what specific differences there are it seems with hyperlexia one has to learn to read early which isn't required for HFA or AS diagnoses.

Thats like asking "whats the difference between sneezing, and having a cold?"

Sneezing is a symptom, and a having a cold is a disease.

Some folks with colds sneeze, some dont sneeze (but have other symptoms). And some folks with the flu, or with allergies, or who snort tobacco sneeze.


Some people on the spectrum are hyperlexic, and some are not.

Some folks who are hyperlexic are on the spectrum, and some are not.

Hyperlexia is symptom, and autism/aspergers is the 'condition' (or disease).

Sometimes the symptom goes with the disease, and sometimes not.


Not a whole lot to it.

I was reading chapter books by 5, and college level by fourth grade. I'm pretty damn sure I have Hyperlexia. Don't know if it's independent or not though. I'm also dyscaulculic.

Hyperlexia is one of three communication learning disorders strongly associated with the spectrum. I followed the hyperlexic pattern of reading before speaking at age 4. Fascination with letters and numbers, and extremely fast ability to read, without being able to put into words in very many sentences what I just read, verbally. The same is true for me when I watch a movie or TV show. Or in explaining what I did yesterday in spoken language.

It's interesting because one can be diagnosed under the Gillberg criteria for Asperger's with a language delay, so there are likely many individuals with hyperlexian type learning patterns, that fit under that criteria that would not fit under it with current DSMIV or ICD10 diagnostic criteria.

Language delays are also common in Pragmatic language impairment PLI, so there is likely some with those symptoms of PLI that might not be diagnosed with Asperger's if they met the other criteria because of language development delay exclusion. Pragmatic language impairment per Wiki definition reads very much like an ASD, as a stand alone disorder. The new Social Communication Disorder in the DSM5 describes a pragmatic language impairment as the core issue of difficulty in social communication.

The most commonly associated communication learning disorder is Nonverbal Learning DIsorder, NLD. Research indicates that a majority of individuals diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome meet the symptoms for NLD. Individuals with NLD often have difficulties with Math and visual spatial tasks, and commonly score substantially higher in verbal IQ than performance IQ in standard intelligence testing. Brain lesions in the right hemisphere of the brain are also associated.

Conversely, Temple Grandhin has a type of neurodevelopmental problem in the left hemisphere of her brain, recently highlighted in Discover magazine, that the right hemisphere of her brain adapted to through her amazing visual spatial skills. Just another one of an almost unlimited number of potential underlying factors that result in meeting observed behavioral impairments to gain a diagnosis of some form of ASD.

Some of these underlying factors likely play a role in whether one navigates their life more through visual images and patterns instead of verbal thought. Some individuals with Nonverbal learning disorder are described as navigating the world more through verbal language than the visual spatial skills they often have difficulty with.

Because of the hyperlexia and pragmatic language impairment exclusions in language development delays, there are likely many individuals diagnosed with Autistic Disorder, sub-typed as HFA, or PDDNOS that would otherwise be diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome under the Gillberg Criteria because it allows for language development delays.

And none of these communication disorders seem to fully account for the difficulties in verbal spoken language in regressive autism, where the small children lose words after gaining them. Abnormal brain growth is found specific to male children with this type of regressive autism, so that may provide another clue to a brain difference as a potential underlying causal factor, for that described sub-group of ASD.

And this is just an area specific to language that does not take into account other varying factors like ADHD, Sensory Integration Disorder, Auditory processing disorder and so many other issues that often overlap and may work together in synergy in some cases resulting in the required observed behavioral impairments for a diagnosis of ASD

Hyperlexia is autism.

Maybe autism is hyperlexia.

Is Hyperlexia a term for parents who are in denial that their kids are autistic?

There are non autistic hyperlexics.

Sweetleaf

"But if not everyone with hyperlexia has autism, what is it a symptom of? It cannot be a symptom of itself...and its not necessarily a symptom of autism.
_________________
It's like alice in wonderland except, my names not alice and this is the real world not a dream. "


Sweetleaf is a very deep thinker.
Her signature line fits in perfectly with her observation.
She understands more about logic than I ever will.

Look, the reason I posted this is because if you look at the traits of hyperlexia they list like a list of autism traits, so I specifically meant, what are the missing traits that make hyperlexia not autism (I'm aware they are frequently co-morbid):

http://www.autismkey.com/hyperlexia/

I cannot see how any hyperlexic could be NT when they have what looks like the complete set of actual autism traits. Does anyone know if there are specific traits in autism that don't exist in hyperlexia - thereby differentiating them?