Willa,
Since you have mentioned the gifted program at your school is pretty much non-existent and that they are going to TRY and accommodate your son I would not see a grade skip as such a bad choice at this point. A lot of people say it is so much easier in the earlier years of school although from the things you have shared about your Mite I don't know that it would pose too much of a challenge even later in life. I do understand the concerns you have with some of his weaknesses but if he is already aspiring for work as challenging as 6th grade work and doesn't feel intimidated by those peers he would encounter then I certainly think he would handle himself well skipping just one grade for now. There is always the standard IEP for helping with his weaknesses and he can obviously handle himself with his strengths and you're obviously doing your part as the parent to see that his hunger for knowledge in his interest areas is quenched as much as you can. I really think if you have good communication with the school and their cooperation with things it will really work out well for him in the end. Of course I'm no expert but my son told me what he wanted to do last year (completing 2 grades in one school year) and I thought he was NUTS but I did what I could to help him reach his goal and by george he did it with ease! These kids know more then we do what they need, believe it or not. I was just telling someone the other day that it's such a shame how little information (like books) there is out there for parents of kids like ours yet you can go find 200 books on potty training and my goodness another 500 books on baby names! Who needs that many books on baby names? Yet we get such slim pickings for some of the brightest minds we'll ever encounter in our lives...that SOCIETY will ever encounter. So I was saying in that conversation these great gifted minds need to start writing books and just telling us what they need or what they needed as they grew up, what would have helped, what would help others, what makes a difference or may make the difference in the life of the next great mind.....what a priceless read THAT would be! Of course the ped. reminds me that they are all so different in their own ways and they all need different things....well then have a few of them write books! I'll read as many books as I need! Anyway, now I'm off on a tangent. Best of luck in this decision for your Mite. You sound like such a wonderful mom and I'm sure you'll make the best decision for him.
M.
