A six-year-old boy in Louisiana has earned the honor of being named to an association reserved for people with the highest IQs in the world.
Taurian Collins, a first grader at JS Clark Magnet Elementary School, has been accepted into Mensa, an organization for people who score in the 98th percentile on standardized tests.
Taurian, affectionately called “Chunk” by his loving mother, began reading at the age of two, but at first he struggled with hearing problems that affected his speech.
Jessica Collins talked about her son’s journey in a Facebook post. “When Chunk was two, he could barely say ten words,” she said.
‘I had him tested three times because I thought he was autistic because he couldn’t communicate and he was hitting his head against the wall. Three times I was told that he was not autistic and that I just had to see how I could get him to talk.’
Collins described her son as “humble and kind” in a Facebook post, writing: “Proud is an understatement”
Taurian Collins, pictured with Monroe City Schools Superintendent Sam Moore III, has been accepted into Mensa, an association for people with the highest IQs in the world
The six-year-old started reading at the age of two, but struggled with hearing problems that affected his speech
After a visit to the pediatrician, Taurian had his tonsils removed and tubes placed in his ears.
While adenoids, clumps of lymphatic tissue that sit in the back of the nose and throat, help a child’s body fight diseases as they continue to develop, they can also hinder breathing and speech.
Before the operation, everything sounded muffled to Taurian’s ears, including his own voice.
When COVID hit, the little boy started doing speech therapy over Zoom. But it was during this time that Collins discovered her son could recognize words and read short sentences.
He hasn’t stopped talking and reading since, his parents say, and even became eligible to participate in programs for gifted students at his school.
An assessment found that his reading skills were above the 99.9 percentile, his math skills were in the 95th percentile, and his general cognitive functioning skills were in the 99.7 percentile.
This meant that his intellectual abilities were equal to or better than those of 99 out of 100 students in the same chronological age group.
With test scores flying off the charts, Taurian applied to Mensa, an honor for which only two percent of people qualify.
Taurian, pictured with his sister Taegan, aspires to become an NFL football player with a side job as an astronaut
Jessica Collins describes her son as a ‘child genius’ and has vowed to help him achieve his goal of attending Harvard at age 13
Taurian has joined the ranks of acclaimed scientists and writers following his acceptance into MENSA, which only two percent of people qualify
A school assessment showed that his reading skills were above the 99.9 percentile, his math skills were in the 95th percentile, and his general cognitive functioning skills were in the 99.7 percentile.
After the surgery, Taurian started speech therapy. Then his mother discovered that he could recognize words and read sentences
Despite being included in the ranks of world-renowned engineers and writers, the six-year-old has a different goal in mind.
Taurian wants to be an NFL player when he gets older, with a part-time job as an astronaut — at least after he graduates.
“He said he was going to Harvard when he was 13,” Collins said KNOE TV. “So we’re going to do everything we can to get him there.”
She praised her six-year-old “child genius” in a social media post, writing, “If you’ve ever met Chunk, you know he’s a character.
‘The one thing that stands out most is how humble and friendly he is. Proud is an understatement, but this is just the tip of what awaits him.’