Q: My 9-year-old son has synesthesia. Do I need to do anything for him? He's pretty intelligent. His involvements include Cub Scouts, piano and outdoor types of things like spending time in our garden. He's been asking me what color numbers and letters are, and what letters piano notes are, including "G," "Z" and "T." He said the "C" in his name is a bronze-red color. Is this a good thing? He's very creative, artistic, fun-loving, relaxed and enjoyable to be around.

Please let me know how I can help him or if I need to.

A: Synesthesia is not a common condition, but some forms may exist in as many as 1 in 23 people, according to Wikipedia. It is neurologically based and results when one sensory pathway of the brain automatically leads to another sensory pathway. People with synesthesia actually do see numbers as colors or hear sounds when things move, while most people do not see these colored numbers or hear certain movements. Synesthesia isn't considered a disorder because it doesn't interfere with normal life. However, parents of children with synesthesia need to know about it so they can understand their children's observations and reassure them their differences are acceptable, interesting and should not be considered problems.

Think about how your son must feel when he describes his color-number observations to friends, who he assumes share the same experiences. His friends may not understand unless you teach him how to explain his differences to them. You will be able to reassure your son and his friends that your son is quite normal but just sees things a little differently. Most children's synesthesia disappears as they mature, so don't assume he'll forever experience colorful numbers and letters.

There is always a psychological risk to children who have unusual life experiences that they will define themselves as very different from everyone else. This can feel lonely and isolating, so you will want to remind your son that there are plenty of others like him. At the same time, you can explain that many children have other individual differences and that he is fortunate to have one as interesting as synesthesia, even though it may not be permanent. Guiding your son to become engaged in plenty of other interests will prevent him from thinking obsessively about how unusual he is. From your description, you've done just that and he seems well-adjusted and happy.

For free newsletters about children who march to the beat of different drummers, and/or the arts are important to your children, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the address below. Dr. Sylvia B. Rimm is the director of the Family Achievement Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, a clinical professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and the author of many books on parenting. More information on raising kids is available at www.sylviarimm.com. Please send questions to: Sylvia B. Rimm on Raising Kids, P.O. Box 32, Watertown, WI 53094 or srimm@sylviarimm.com. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.