Anonymous wrote:Scripps National Spelling Bee

+ 1
Just sounds highly intelligent. My guess is your child might also be very gifted in music. I don’t think we really understand what makes prodigies, but o find them fascinating. I have two very smart but not highly gifted kids, but my brother was highly gifted verbally… his case wasn’t so happy bc of later onset mental problems, but he graduated hs and college early and breezed through school and tests.

To all the kids with hyperlexia and other cerebral differences, who are not diagnosed with autism... if they were evaluated today in 2026, they might qualify. The bar for mild autism has rigid criteria, but is overall quite low.

If they present as normal, there is no need to go out of your way and pay money for a diagnosis that won't make a difference. But don't go through life thinking that they don't have autism!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dd had hyperlexia. Its an early warning sign for autism.

I knew this was coming. DCUM moms are so quick to cry "autism" when they're jealous that somebody else's kid is better at something than theirs.

Washington is the epicenter of IVF in the states. There are in fact a very high concentration of autistic children in DC.

Anonymous wrote:They don’t have spelling tests anymore. In fact, they don’t even teach spelling. They let kids write phonetically. It’s terrible. Good for you for teaching her young.

My 4th grader had a spelling test last week. 10/10. MCPS

Anonymous wrote:My dd had hyperlexia. Its an early warning sign for autism.

Two kids with hyperplexia (reading at 2), neither has a diagnosis. I checked one of them. But it isn't a bragging point - I describe it as a condition

It sounds really advanced to me! My kid is an advanced reader at 7 but spells terribly.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dd had hyperlexia. Its an early warning sign for autism.

+1 this was my level 1 ASD DS, phenomenal memory and love of patterns. Was recommended for magnet programs beginning in late ES, now at a WASP and doing very well. I don't know that the spelling facility translated into any particular giftedness with language, more of a STEM kid in the end. But that was where his particular interests lay and that's essential for ASD kids (if your kid is in fact ASD).

Op: That is very interesting. She also likes numbers. DD was speech delayed (articulation) and has/d intermittent hearing loss. ASD was a concern last year, but this year everything is looking to be an effect of the speech/hearing. That being said I’m not ruling anything out. She’s doing really well in the more academic prek. She is social and makes eye contact now. Speech has really come along and helped with connecting to peers. Her teachers this year have no concerns.

Also Re: phonics. She actually loves phonics. That might have actually been the first clue. She learned those rules fast. I think she likes codes. I’ve noticed she is always trying make rules to explain the way the world works.

PP here. Yeah, that was my DS. Hyperanalytical. Anyway, the memorization, pattern-decoding, and analytical skills did translate to significant academic achievement. They were evident at early toddler age and continued. Very different from his sibling. Still loves to memorize and gravitated towards 'patterns' in music as well as STEM. His only analytical weakness is a tendency toward literal thinking, but he seems to be outgrowing that. His ASD is mild and he does well enough socially to do fine in professional contexts and be content interpersonally. Whether or not your DC has ASD, she sounds very bright and will likely have significant academic strengths. Just continue satisfying her intellectual curiosity, and enjoy!

Anonymous wrote:My dd had hyperlexia. Its an early warning sign for autism.

+1 get him screened

OP, that's great, I was similar as a kid (not on the spectrum, voracious/early reader, though).

Balanced out by being useless at anything involving numbers, though, so there's that!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My dd had hyperlexia. Its an early warning sign for autism.

I knew this was coming. DCUM moms are so quick to cry "autism" when they're jealous that somebody else's kid is better at something than theirs.

I think maybe you're still thinking autism is a horrible diagnosis. High functioning autism comes with challenges, oh yes, but it also comes with incredible strengths. It's a lifelong journey of learning to understand yourself or your child. And if OP's child is neurodivergent, odds are they or their spouse are too. Enjoy it, OP. And yeah, spelling bee seems like an obvious choice. Could get a sweet scholarship that way.

Anonymous wrote:

I knew this was coming. DCUM moms are so quick to cry "autism" when they're jealous that somebody else's kid is better at something than theirs.

For shame! You don't know anything about our struggles with our kids, and how proud we are of their splinter skills when some other behaviors are difficult to manage. Have some respect for our lived experience.

So rude.

Anonymous wrote:My dd had hyperlexia. Its an early warning sign for autism.

I knew this was coming. DCUM moms are so quick to cry "autism" when they're jealous that somebody else's kid is better at something than theirs.