Welcome -

My son could easily be yours, other than the path of schooling thus far. And I quoted Grinity here because I whole heartedly agree with her - especially on this. My DS(just shy of)6 is worse than I am, as far as perfectionism is concerned, and while he is still at the top of his class now, having him in an environment where he's challenged a bit more has been WONDERFUL to help curb some of the overdramaticness (yes, my new word) with the "I can't" and "I'll choose A because it's easy instead of choosing B where I might not figure it out on the first try", etc...

My DS was tested by his school. They used more than just an achievement test - they used the Iowa Acceleration Scale, which takes things like maturity level into consideration.

His testing and his whole grade acceleration have been a tremendous relief to us. There are still things that are too easy for him, and there are still moments of him being "just 5", but I would highly recommend testing for your DS! Even if it is just a number, it will really assist you in deciding what is next!

jojo - I LOVE this!!! I'm jotting it down now!

This is so ironic. Her insensitive soul is more mature that his? Really? How does she know?

I'd much rather have a perfectionist for a brain surgeon. It is a part of his character and a part that is very valuable.

I think you have to go with what you KNOW versus what others say.

There are private schools in Texas that cater to PG kids and there are a handful of public schools that have specific programs where PG kids are taught as a group TOGETHER with teachers that get them. You will need to do a test to gain entrance, but the tests are objective. I think your son would be welcome.

I too have just entered this realm. It feels as if it's you against the school. I suggest gettimg him tested asap so you are fully informed. There is also alot of other information about asynochoris(Sic) child who is at all different levels of developement emotionally, socially and academically. dabrowski's oversensitivities and sensory processing issues( what i think my son is dealing with)

My son is exhibiting these same characteristics so face it now so you know the path to take.

Thank you all for the wonderful feedback! I suppose we will have to look into the testing route and see where we go next. Thanks again!

Well we all know how frustrating this is. My DS is in 4th grad and the school has now just taken away the 45 minutes, once a week slot of stimulating G&T time. I started looking at private schools (which we as well can't afford but are so desperate) but I was given some good advice which I found to be true. Just because it is a private school does not mean you will get a better education or a better teacher that suits the needs of your child. My son was told in 1st grade that he should be tested but there was no one else in the program and she felt he would feel left out in the regular classroom! There are just teachers who do not understand children who are at a higher level or believe that a child should be "pushed" - even though we know that we are not pushing them. It is they who are seeking out the knowledge and it is we who want to provide it for them. As for the perfectionism, when something seems to hard, allow him to begin at a lower level and when he masters that and gains the confidence he will then begin to blossom. As on of the myths with G&T kids is that they can't be perfect at everything they do. Speak to one of the directors at the school about it and if they do not help then testing may be a good idea. Whatever the case, nurture his natural abilities.