A descriptive study of hyperlexia in a clinically referred sample of children with developmental delays.

McIntyre et al. (2002) looked at clinic files of children with developmental delays. They counted how many showed hyperlexia: strong word reading far above their overall language level.

Kids carried either autism spectrum labels or other delays. The team compared IQ, sex, and reading skill between the hyperlexic and non-hyperlexic groups.

Hyperlexia showed up more often in children on the PDD-autism spectrum than in those with other delays.

Boys and girls were equally likely to be hyperlexic. Cognitive scores did not differ between the groups, so early word reading did not signal higher ability across the board.

Plant et al. (2007) conceptually replicated the finding: hyperlexia is common in ASD. They added detail—hyperlexic readers decoded on par with same-reading-age peers but still lagged in understanding what they read.

Macdonald et al. (2021) extended the picture downward to preschool. Their ASD-plus-hyperlexia group read words and named letters early yet lacked phonological awareness and letter-sound knowledge, showing the skill pattern starts young.

Plaisted et al. (2006) widened the lens. They mapped the whole reading scatter in ASD: some kids decode fine but comprehend poorly, others struggle at every step. Together the studies show hyperlexia is one of several uneven reading profiles in ASD, not a special advantage.

If a child with ASD reads words far above conversation level, do not assume full literacy strength. Keep assessing comprehension and phonological skills. Use the decoding talent as a bridge to teach meaning and language, not as a sign to skip reading support.