A Hyperlexic-Like Reading Style Is Associated With Increased Autistic Features in Girls With ADHD.

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.