There are many different types of autism symptoms. Some are more severe than others. Some are less understood than others. Some of the more unique autism symptoms have to do with intellectual quirks, such as hyperlexia and special interests.
Many children with autism tend to be quite intelligent. Autistic children with high IQs can be classified as having Asperger’s syndrome (a high-functioning form of autism). As we know autism is a spectrum disorder so there will be children who have autism who have wildly different abilities and backgrounds and each may exhibit different symptoms of autism.
Hyperlexia: a unique symptom of autism
Not everyone will have the autism symptoms described in this article. But many will. Many children with autism have something called hyperlexia. It means they can recognize letters and words, and read, at a very young age, often as young as 2 years old.
Children with hyperlexia don’t understand what they read, but they love to read. They read everything they can get their hands on. They are the kind of kids who will read every sign, every label, and every package because of their love of language.
Comprehension is often a problem with hyperlexia
The problem with hyperlexia is that while it seems pretty cool to have a 2 or 3 year old reading books, it becomes a problem later on when they struggle with understanding what they’re reading. This unique ability to read above age level but without understanding what is being read is a classic symptom of autism.
A young child with autism can “read” a book, but cannot break it down into smaller parts or understand the parts of language or the grammar rules that make it up. They can echo lines from the books they read, often long, complicated sentences (also called “echolia”), but forming their own original sentences is often much more difficult.
The symptom of autism, hyperlexia, in many ways is like skipping the basic rules of language to move on to the more advanced ones, but not quite mastering the basic ones you’ll need for all future lessons.
Special interests are a common symptom of autism
Most children with autism also have special interests. There are certain subjects that they are fascinated with and will remember every obscure detail. It can be dinosaurs, fire trucks from World War II, and your child’s mind will be like a sponge for every piece of information on this topic.
The autistic child often has a great memory for details. Remembering numbers and dates is easy for them. This amazing ability to remember obscure details is a common symptom of autism. Because of this, some will refer to those with this autism symptom as “walking encyclopedias.”
Children with autism are often very absorbed in what they are doing, especially when it comes to their special interests. They are difficult to interrupt and may even seem to lose track of the world around them.
These autism symptoms may help with future employment
While these autism symptoms have the unfortunate effect of isolating them from their peers when they are younger, when they are older these traits can be helpful. In the world of work, the knowledge, dedication, and loyalty displayed by people with autism can be a blessing in certain fields and under certain conditions. Special, hyperlexia, and other intellectual quirks are just a few of the many autism symptoms of interest that you may encounter in your child.
