FWIW we first tested DS at 6.5 and had to retest at 8.75. I agree with Portia that waiting will likely result in higher accuracy but at the same time for us the results at 6.5 were HUGELY beneficial in pointing us in the right direction. I think the first set of testing allowed us to peel a layer of the onion. If I could only afford one round then I'd wait but if you are lucky enough to have good benefits or can afford it I wouldn't say that testing earlier is not going to be helpful. I echo the recommendation to find a 2e expert - having a psych that we trusted completely was essential to this adventure.
I also agree with Portia's comment above about not connecting. My DS is an INTENSE kid. Pre-K he was speech delayed and had a really hard time expressing his intense emotions. Even when his speech caught up I think it still wasn't enough for him to be able to express things when he was at his most intense. We've spent years working with him (The Explosive Child saved us) and he's now 10.5 and I feel like we're almost caught up (or at least most days).
For the fiction/non-fiction. My DS wasn't interested in fiction until he was older (I'm going to say 8ish?). George's Secret Key to the Universe was the gateway book. It combined his obsession with black holes with a fictional story so for him it was a perfect combo. After that he got into the Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, the Riorden books and never looked back. His reading wasn't particularly advanced early on so I think it took awhile for his reading level to get to the point where the books had enough meat to sustain his interest if that makes any sense.
