First grader, 6, born with hearing loss who started reading at age of two is accepted into Mensa - and his dream is to become NFL player

A six-year-old boy in Louisiana has earned the honor of being named to a society reserved for those with the highest IQs in the world.

Taurian Collins, a first grader at J.S. Clark Magnet Elementary School, has been accepted into Mensa, an organization for people who score in the 98th percentile in standardized testing.

Taurian, affectionately known as 'Chunk' by his doting mother, began reading at the age of two - but first he struggled with hearing problems that affected his speech.

Jessica Collins recounted her son's journey in a Facebook post. 'When Chunk was two, he could barely say 10 words,' she said.

'I had him tested three times thinking he was autistic because he couldn’t communicate and he would bang his head on the wall. I was told three times he was not autistic and to just look at getting him speech.'

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, a society for people with the highest IQs in the world

The six-year-old began reading at the age of two, but struggled with hearing issues that impacted his speech

Following a trip to the pediatrician, Taurian had his adenoids taken out and tubes placed in his ears.

While adenoids, lumps of lymphatic tissue that sit at the back of the nose and throat, help a child's body fight disease as they continue to develop, they can also hinder breathing and speaking.

Before the surgery, everything sounded muffled to Taurian, including his own voice.

When COVID hit, the little boy began taking speech therapy over Zoom. But it was during this time Collins discovered her son could recognize words and read short sentences.

He has not stopped talking and reading since, his parents say, and even qualified for participation in programs for Gifted students at his school.

An assessment revealed his reading skills to be above the 99.9 percentile, math skills in the 95th percentile, and overall cognitive functioning skills in the 99.7 percentile.

This meant his intellectual abilities were equal to or better than 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 footballer with a side gig as an astronaut

Jessica Collins describes her son as a 'child genius' and has vowed to help him achieve his goal of getting into Harvard at 13 years old

Taurian has joined the ranks of acclaimed scientists and writers following his acceptance into MENSA, for which only two percent of people qualify

A school assessment found his reading skills to be above the 99.9 percentile, math skills in the 95th percentile, and overall cognitive functioning skills in the 99.7 percentile

Following surgery, Taurian began speech therapy - and it was then his mother discovered that he could recognize words and read sentences

Despite being accepted into the ranks of world-renowned engineers and writers, the six-year-old has a different goal in mind.

Taurian wants to become an NFL player when he gets older, with a side gig as an astronaut - after he graduates college, that is.

'He said he’s going to Harvard at 13,' Collins told KNOE-TV. 'So, we’re going to do whatever we have to do 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 kind he is. Proud is an understatement, but this is only the tip of what’s to come for him.'