AUTISM WITH HYPERLEXIA - A DISTINCT SYNDROME

Family and medical histories, autistic and dysmorphic features, and ne urological status of 5 children with autism and hyperlexia and 5 sex a nd IQ-matched children with autism and no hyperlexia were compared Res ults showed that the children with hyperlexia displayed more persisten t echolalia, superior visual motor performance, and more favorable res ponse to vestibular stimulation. These children performed better than did their matched controls in the physical and neurological assessment . Two of these children, one of whom had a sibling with hyperlexia, pr esented with macrocephaly. Both groups had a similar incidence of dysm orphic features, computerized tomographic and EEG abnormalities, and f amily morbidity. Results suggest that children with autism and hyperle xia probably represent part of the continuum of autism rather than a s pecific syndrome.