Hello Grinity and kcab, thank you for replying and for your input :o)
Grinity: I might try posting to that link and see who is around! I'm so glad that your son has found his place. I don't think we've been terribly effective at understanding our children, to be honest. My husband and I grew up outside the US, and he, especially, was always one of those highly successful, gifted people. He managed to excel on his own within his regular High School - he had no choice but to do it that way really. I struggled growing up, never understood myself or that things could be any different. I think that's why we came so late to looking into possible help for our own children. We thought they would be able to work within the system too. Like they say, hindsight is 20/20, and I would be so prepared now if I could start over again!
kcab: Thanks - my son fits well at the school. It is very small, however, and he thrives on people. The school places emphasis on travel - wilderness survival, international trips each year - so the students 'go' out and explore all the time. Project-based learning in school, too - but not many links to outside programs in the gifted world. He volunteered this summer in a Molecular Medicine laboratory and was found to be excellent at performing some of the lab. techniques for the PhD's, those requiring depth perception skills. Anything visual/3D/design/business are his strengths. Definitely, he loves design. A recent passion for him has been Architecture, so he's been all over the design sites, researched homes all over the country, etc - he begins a hyper-focus and off he goes for 6 months at a time, informing everyone of his discoveries along the way.... I think he might end up starting out with some kind of general Art/Design/Architecture courses at college, although we're looking at entrepreneurial studies too. He's also a very natural business-mind - this kid has been inventing and making small money since Lower School - so I laughed when you said that they forge their own track - he will, to be sure. I took a quick look at the post you linked, and will read it through as I leave here. I do have some concerns about my son, esp. finishing college if he takes a general degree for 4 years. Unless he can get going with his ideas, he may become frustrated - so, just wondering if he'd be better heading straight for the business track.
Thank you both again!
