Abstract

Audra Jensen' son began reading when he was only two years old. She shares her experiences - both the challenges and joys - of raising a child with autism and hyperlexia - an early and obsessive interest in the written word associated with social deficits and significant difficulty in understanding verbal language.

The author stresses the importance of diagnosis of the condition for successful implementation of effective teaching strategies and encouragement of more typical childhood development. As well as useful advice, this guide provides a comprehensive reading curriculum specially designed for young, challenged children to help promote their reading ability.

With practical suggestions on how to modify teaching and therapy programmes to suit a child's individual learning style, this practical guide will prove invaluable for parents of children with autism and hyperlexia.

Audra Jensen is mother to a son with autism and hyperlexia, and to a typical, bright, and energetic daughter. She lives near Seattle with her husband and family. Audra K. Jensen's background is in technical writing and graphic design. She is now undertaking a Master's degree in Early Childhood Special Education and plans to become a hyperlexia researcher and an autism specialist for the schools. She has been actively involved in the autism community and hopes to continue to educate parents and professionals on hyperlexia and its challenges and blessings.
A variety of methods for connecting a child's knowledge of words with their meanings is demonstrated, as are numerous useful resources like social stories... Many of these examples, especially rewards, are useful for all children with ASD. This book, probably the first of its kind, is strongly recommended for all public libraries and academic libraries with autism or education collections.
Library Journal
This book is interesting in that it focuses primarily upon hyperlexia- the ability to read at a level beyond age- related norms with associated deficits in verbal communication skills. Many parents and practitioners familiar with autistic spectrum disorder will recognize aspects of this presentation without necessarily knowing this specific label and a discussion of this area is welcome. This is an energetic and practical guide outlining principles and activities that have evidently contributed enormously to the quality of life experienced by the author's son and family.
Educational Review
The book is extremely well written, easy to read and understand and is a moving and insightful account of the difficulties families can face when blessed with a challenging child. A great read (I personally couldn't put it down) for all those interested in either comprehensive learning programmes or just requiring a deeper understanding of Hyperlexia, Asperger Syndrome and Autism.
The National Association for Gifted Children