There is no book that can adequately "diagnose" all gifted kids as gifted. Ruf's book resonated with enough of us--warts and all--that I get very nervous when people start sounding like they want to throw out the baby with the bathwater.
I'm not persuaded that the milestone list does more harm than good, but it worries me that it might. As the mom of one child who fit Ruf's levels (DS9) and one HG+/2E kid who does not (DS6), I can't really imagine reading one book, saying "well, that's not it," and giving up. The stuff DS6 is doing is too weird. I'd need more of an answer than that. So I have trouble imagining that anyone would really give up that easily. But I also realize that my experience and approach are not everyone's.
I don't think we need to assume that all newbies are idiots though. Sometimes it sounds like that's what's happening on this topic, and I don't think we have to do that. Nothing will work for everyone. This works for some people. It's one tool among many. Anyone who blindly follows the first book they pick up on this topic is in trouble no matter which book they pick!
I'm less sure that the website is a useful tool. I think I'm not 100% sure what the point is. It seems like the marketing is too aggressive, and I don't like that. As a babystep tool to help newbies, that might be okay--not ideal, but a starting point. But given the marketing, I fear it's just a moneymaker, and I don't like that. Psychologists are entitled to make a living, but there's a line there between getting the word out and exploiting people who don't know any better. I worry that the website might cross that line.
