- Poppy O’Malley-Flack, 10, from Kent, scored an IQ of 136.
- The test, originally for dyslexia, revealed her exceptional intelligence.
- She was accepted into Mensa, the world’s leading high-IQ society.
- Her family says she’s “logical, mature, and humble.”
- Experts say her case shows giftedness can coexist with learning differences.
What began as a dyslexia assessment turned into an unexpected discovery of brilliance for a 10-year-old girl from Kent, England.
Poppy O’Malley-Flack had been struggling with spelling, prompting her parents to schedule a dyslexia test. But instead of confirming a learning difficulty, the three-hour examination revealed she had an IQ of 136 — a score that ranks her within the top one percent of the British population.
Her mother, Lucy O’Malley-Flack, said the family was completely taken aback by the results.
“We never expected to come out of a dyslexic test and the lady say her reasoning skills and intelligence were exceptionally high,” she told England’s Southwest News Service.
Although Poppy has always displayed maturity and strong reasoning abilities, her parents said she had never been viewed as a traditionally “academic” child.
“We were as shocked I think as Poppy was,” Lucy said. “She had never been the type of child you thought was gifted or very academic… However, she is very logical and has good reasoning skills and is very good at problem solving. We have always known that. We always knew she was quite grown up for her age.”
Following the discovery, Mrs. O’Malley-Flack reached out to Mensa, the century-old international organization for individuals with exceptional IQs. Shortly after submitting the results, Poppy received her official acceptance letter.
“We were absolutely chuffed and really proud of her and I think she was really proud of herself,” Lucy said. “She is the most humble child you will ever meet, but she is really enjoying this prestige.”
Mensa, founded in 1946, has more than 150,000 members across 90 countries, including 50,000 in the United States. The society has counted figures such as Isaac Asimov, Commander Chris Hadfield, Steve Martin, John McAfee, and the inventor of the mobile phone among its ranks.
According to data from BBC’s Test The Nation, the average IQ in Britain is approximately 100, while scores above 135 fall into the top percentile. For context, both Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking are believed to have had IQs around 160, though neither ever took an official test.
While Poppy has yet to decide on a future career path, her mother suspects her daughter’s strengths may steer her toward the sciences.
“I don’t think Poppy is going to go into your normal 9-5 job. She will be going into something scientific or arty. Something that requires detail. It is a perfect example of how a learning difference and giftedness can co-exist. While she might have struggles with spelling she has extraordinary reasoning skills.”
The O’Malley-Flack family says they hope their story inspires other parents to view learning differences through a broader lens — as potential signs of unique intelligence rather than limitations.
