need help

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hope someone can help out there. my son 3 1/2 has learned to sight

read words. although i am very happy about it, i am as equally

concerned. we work with flash cards and he will remember appox 15-20

words in a row without the cards in front of him. the flashcard

books are in a spiral bound index cards. otherwise i'd go crazy

picking up all those cards and with a younger brother who likes to

tear up everything... i figured out this way. some flashcard books

i have are with parts of the body, colors or names of people. he

will remember word for word in the car what flashcard comes next.

when i ask him and he doesn't even have the book present. he has an

amazing ability for visual learning and memorization. he had 2 words

in december and now has over 300. thanks to some " magic fish oil "

and a gf/cf diet. i was really thinking he was apraxic as his cousin

is apraxic also and another cousin somewhere on the spectrum. he has

hydrocephalus (extra spinal fluid on the brain) and a shunt.

although many neurologists feel this is not the problem with the

speech. i'm starting to think he may be hyperlexic. although

supposedly can't diagnose that until age of 6. my question can

apraxia and hyperlexia co-exist? he just has started to blow and

pucker. still can't blow bubbles, has sensory issues but is very

affectionate and connected (good eye contact). not enough to

diagnose as autistic, or pdd. he loves books and has just started

reading " the foot book " by dr. suess. but he is not totally

obsessed with reading. he loves puzzles, preschool, coloring,(a

lefty). since he has an ability to read at a young age, is it just a

young reader or should i worry? since he has had so much previous

problems, 2 brain surgeries and such, is this age appropriate or

since he was delayed in speech can he be compensating for the speech

through sight reading words? have i touched on a way to teach him or

is this " feeding " into another problem? sorry so long and for so

many questions. tried to find a hyperlexia message area and

couldn't. have been on this one for about a year. any suggestions

would be appreciated.

also, he was saying the days of the week in order and very clear by

himself but when i walked in the room and asked him to repeat them

for me he had such trouble and started mumbling, the words were

indistinquishable and couldn't even complete the word. seems like i

put a demand on him and he couldn't do it. put alot of uh's in the

word. like mon-uh, uh uh, t-uh uh uh, wedn uh-uh. etc... apraxic???

thanks

lori