Pathetic MSNBC story

MSNBC has what appears to be a heartwarming story about a 17-month-old girl who can read. What the story doesn't tell you is that the girl is almost certainly hyperlexic and most hyperlexic children are autistic. It's too early to tell for sure, but the odds of this girl being a high functioning autistic are extremely high.


Early intervention might be very helpful to autistic children. (Research is lacking on this point.) Parents of extremely early-reading children (kids who can read before they turn 2 and a half) should know that they should get their kids tested for autism. But after reading this article such parents will be falsely reassured that having an early reader child is nothing to be concerned about.