You said your DS was 8 and just starting 2nd grade. I assume this means his birthday was either at or near the age cut-off for his grade and that he is one of the older children in his grade. If this were the case for my gifted child, I would absolutely consider advocating for acceleration. (Unfortunately for my children, 2 of the 3 are already the youngest in their classes, which makes acceleration a much more difficult choice.)