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A Hyperlexic-Like Reading Style Is Associated With Increased Autistic Features in Girls With ADHD
Jakob Åsberg Johnels1, Christopher Gillberg1, Svenny Kopp1
11 University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Objective:
Hyperlexic-like reading (defined as word decoding much better than comprehension) has been associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here we study correlates of a hyperlexic-like reading style (HPL) in ADHD, a condition known to co-occur both with reading difficulties and ASD.
Method:
We compared 10 girls with an ADHD diagnosis plus HPL with 26 with ADHD minus HPL.
Results:
Girls with HPL scored marginally lower in reading comprehension but did not differ from non-HPL girls in IQ, vocabulary, or in the severity of ADHD ratings. However, in addition to scoring much better on word decoding, HPL readers also displayed higher levels of social-communication deficits on the ADOS-G and the ADI-R. Moreover, correlation analysis in the full sample revealed an association between increasing autistic features and word reading.
Conclusion:
The study underscores the heterogeneity of reading skills in ADHD, and shows the relevance of subclinic autistic features for understanding this variability.
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