TxMOM - your post really hit home for me. My son sounds similar to your son but not as advanced. His 1st grade teacher kept hinting at inattention. His 2nd grade teacher made a point of saying "It's not that he's inattentive, I think he really needs more challenge." So she really got him. I know his 1st grade teacher wrote into his record about the inattention but I wasn't sure if the 2nd grade teacher got those records. Our system is K-1, 2-5 so there was a school change for 2nd.
Anyhow, I had him tested and the psych gave lots of advice about teaching him coping skills in dealing w/ the boredom....deep breathing exercises, meditation etc. Well we're HSing now. When he came home, I was truly worried about him. His attention span was only about 5-10min of focused effort, then he would say he was tired and needed a break. But after a few months, he can now work for an hour before needing a short break. Even the psych said that DS fatigues mentally easily and he would have scored even higher on the WISCIV had he broken it up into 2days. I think it was DS tuning out in class and not being challenged which was creating the inattention and lack of mental stamina. When I sent him to K, he could sit and watch a NOVA science show for an hour, then we could read together for another hour and discuss what we were reading and then do math. Why would his attention be decreasing as he got older?
But I got from EVERYONE, he has to learn to be bored. Now when he's at home, and says he's bored b/c I won't let him play on the computer, I let him be bored so he can learn to find things to occupy himself. But if he's spending most of his day bored in school, something is wrong and needs to change. Kids are bored for many reasons..too much challenge, not enough challenge, disinterest in the topic etc but after talking to several friends of ND kids, they never complain of boredom in the classroom on a day to day basis like my son did, to the point of stomach aches daily, headaches, and really becoming gloomy.
