We have found that special interest groups centered around topics that appeal primarily to gifted kids are a fairly reliable source of near-agemates who are, if not intellectual peers, at least closer to it than average. When I watch my son hanging out with the other kids around his age from his summer Shakespeare troupe, he fits in better than I have seen him fit anywhere, with the exception of his online interactions other Duke TIP kids - which brings me to another resource that homeschoolers can also access: participating in talent searches, gifted conferences, and university-sponsored summer and weekend programs for gifted children.
I think it is worth remembering that even in a large public school, there is no guarantee that DYS-level kiddos are going to find true intellectual peers, and as a parent you are probably still going to need to seek out special interest groups and programs outside of school to find a solution that works for your kid(s) to find "their people".
