Hi vicbee. I wasn't on the boards the last time you posted here. Nice to meet you!
I'm curious if you've ever gone back and had your DS evaluated again, where he presented early with diverse cognitive skills, and has a consistent history of attentional and "motivational" (in quotes because almost everyone is motivated--it's just a question of what the motive is, and how one can harness it for those tasks valued by our society or personal culture) challenges, and because you are describing some possible areas of underachievement. Have you considered the possibility of a second exceptionality? (E.g., a subtle learning disability, ADHD, etc.) It is, of course, also possible (even likely), as you say, that he is simply under challenged in school, and so has no particular impetus to exert himself, but if there is an additional learning difference, it might be nice to know before he hits the new high bar in high school.
And FWIW, we also had the experience of our DC, then 2 years young for grade, being perceived as immature and distractible until teachers reminded themselves of the age gap. But in our case, that particular child really could meet most of the diagnostic criteria for ADHD, with the critical exception of impairments in actual function. (No formal diagnosis, but this is my field, and I can tick off the relevant symptoms.) The age difference seems to have resulted in teachers giving more allowance than was perhaps strictly justified...if your DC is in a similar situation, that works too.
