Are they offering to pay for it? In my state there is some provision if the parent doesn't like the the results that they pay for a tester of the parent's choice - but that's not for gifted, only for special ed, and I don't even know if that's still true.
I don't think it's a cause for concern for him to be tested, but I would 'brush him up' on his 'Transforming the Difficult Child Workbook' style 'power calm' and 'inner wealth' so that he behaves himself in front of the psychiatrist.
A complete academic workup sounds like a great idea. Can you agree to the complete academic workup first, and then do a trial at proper levels with an agreement tto do the psych eval if the transition doesn't go smoothly?
It seems like a stepwise approach will be safer.
It is possible to be bored in social settings, particularly when the agemates aren't intellectual peers in any sense of the word. It's also possible at this age that the child is trying to reproduce the behavior he perceives the other boys as exhibiting , perhaps without a lot of conscious thought, and by placing him with older boys, he'll start internalizing their behavior, which will be easier to understand and reproduce.
So if they are willing, I'd agree to a stepwise plan, where they evaluate the academics first, and then brainstorm some ideas, and then try them, and then take it to the next level with the psychiatrist if needed.
BTW, is it possible that they want an eval with a psychologist? Psychiatrists very often mean that they are interested in a diagnosis that requires medication. Is ADHD on the plate?
Best Wishes,
Grinity
