n. the development of extremely good reading skills at a very early age, well ahead of word comprehension or cognitive ability. Children with hyperlexia often start to recognize words without instruction and before any expressive language develops. Hyperlexia is usually found in the context of cognitive and language deficits or certain developmental disorders; some children with autism, for example, may show hyperlexia. [first defined in 1967 by Norman E. Silberberg (1932–2007) and Margaret C. Silberberg]
—hyperlexicadj.