Thank you for the response. We have applied and are waiting anxiously for the decision. I really hope he is accepted. Our family definitely need the support.
He is definitely still on par with grade age peers on handwriting and slips but yet still perform better academically than all. This is a good reminder for me not to get ahead of myself. Thank you.
Our plan is to leave him where he is in second grade for now. I will not be pushing for advancement at school. He loves now that second grade does social studies, health, etc.; he loves learning about new things. With math we are focusing on teaching him to show work and self-check his own work. I won't push for advanced materials unless he asks for it. I'm going to plan for next school year in a month or two and re-assess the situation.
You are correct that my real concern is peer connections. That is also my reason for looking into another environment so he can meet more kids like him. His same aged peers are not at his mental age. He likes being silly sometimes but I have seen over and over when he would tell them some cool facts and they would ignore him and talk about something else. He said even with his best friend, they only have very few things in common they can talk about. That just breaks my heart. School said he's antisocial and cannot connect to peers but this is not lack of social skills but his choice. The older kids wouldn't play with him either due to his age. He actually asked to move school because he feels no one wants to play with him at recess. It's the same at youth ministry and cub scouts. We have done playdates. He has a few friends from different places but none who can connect intellectually.
My son is a really nice kid. He's shy but when he opens up he is kind. What makes connection hard with same aged peers also is over excitability. I don't know how else to describe it but when he gets upset..he gets really upset. His best friend would do something by accident and he would insist it's on purpose and made the other child feel really bad. He is intense and very aware of things and yet can't handle the situation well. I guess this is where the asynchrony kicks in. He wants friends but said most of the kids are so annoying. I think he just want to find kids who are more like him and can understand.
It's hard to find a fit for him. It seems like he's always in between. Same aged peers are not mature enough for him sometimes but then he acts younger than his chronological age at times with tantrums and meltdowns. Academically he can do so much more challenging work but then he's not always showing what he's capable of and doesn't have the desire to do so. He is our oldest and we can't talk to anyone because it comes across as bragging sometimes. I stopped talking about him to other parents. I'm so thankful for social media nowadays. Thanks.
