Beginning reading without semantics: a cognitive study of hyperlexia

Abstract

Literacy development in MP, a hyperlexic boy, was followed over his first three school years in a longitudinal case study. The other members of his class, who received the same programme of instruction, provided a reference group. Despite impaired language production and comprehension, MP developed an effective orthographic system, indexed by normal reactiontime patterns and success in reading (and spelling) words and nonwords. Semantic processing of single lexical items also appeared efficient. The results are taken to imply the “developmental modularity” of the orthographic and (propositional) semantic system.