Jonathan
A Young Adult with Hyperlexia

by Lembi Buchanan

When my son Jonathan was two years old, he was assessed by several
psychologists and psychiatrists at the Izaak Walton Killam Children's
Hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1976.  Although he was a bright, gifted
child who had taught himself to read, his verbal communication skills were
non-existent. To make matters even worse, Jonathan had become a chronic
whiner whenever he wanted something.

Unlike many other children, Jonathan had no interest in any  toys other
than his friend Snoopy, a worn-out stuffed animal which was his constant
companion. Jonathan's motor skills were terrible and he refused to go
outside and play, especially in the winter.  Jonathan did not have any
social skills, and he showed no interest in other children who visited our
home.  He preferred to read the Yellow Pages of the Telephone Directory and
make up words he had memorized with his magnetic letters.

Back in 1976, there was no diagnosis or prognosis for Jonathan's peculiar
behaviour.  Although we had not heard of the term "hyperlexia" until
recently, Jonathan was a textbook case.  There was a great deal of
professional interest in Jonathan, yet there was little guidance as far as
encouraging speech development.  Instead, he was enrolled in a special
program for children with severe motor co-ordination problems and I was
encouraged to place him in a day care setting for at least two days a week.

Progress was painfully slow. Jonathan did not participate in any of the
programs at day care for many months.  He just sat on the sidelines,
watching everyone else play.  And even then, he would have preferred to
stay home. Jonathan also had to overcome his fear of heights just to get up
on a tricycle.  But the concept of peddling with his feet was beyond his
comprehension.  Learning to ride his bike became a major challenge.
Learning to swim took years of struggle but he was never given a choice.
Jogging was a joke but the school principal encouraged Jonathan to
 There was a great deal of professional interest in Jonathan, yet there was
little guidance...
...Somehow, somewhere, we found the right solutions...
participate everyday during the lunch hour.

When Jonathan was 12, we made a decision to send him away to boarding
school. He had become a hermit, though he appeared to get along fairly well
with his peers. But no one shared his interests and he did not have any
friends. He preferred to spend all of his free time in his room, examining
maps, making lists and publishing directories.  He also spent a great deal
of his time in libraries.

The structured environment of a boarding school was the ideal setting for
Jonathan.  He adapted surprisingly well to the routine and we never had a
homesick call from him.  Jonathan had no choice but to participate in all
of the school's activities yet he didn't complain.

Although all sports activities were a real challenge for him, he persisted.
By grade 12, a special trophy was named after him and awarded to the senior
student who had demonstrated persistence and perseverance in cross-country
running. You can imagine how thrilled we were when he was named the first
recipient of his own trophy.  In grade 13, he was awarded the coveted Good
Sportsmanship trophy.  Since then, Jonathan has completed two 26-mile
marathons and participated in numerous other runs.

Jonathan is a 1997 graduate of The University of British Columbia.  He has
a girlfriend. He is employed by Communication Resources doing what he loves
-- researching, writing and putting together directories and corporate
histories. He still makes lists, and he is a keen observer of billboard
charts and sports statistics.  Jonathan has also been publishing a
newsletter, The Juri Times, for his friends since 1994.

Many of Jonathan's personality characteristics have remained the same over
the years although his horizons have been broadened significantly.  We are
truly grateful for the support of so many professionals and teachers who
have taken an interest and encouraged him despite his dismal progress at
times, particularly in sports.  They never gave up on him and neither did
we.  Somehow, somewhere, we found the right solutions for Jonathan and we
have every reason to be optimistic about his future.