My 13-year-old son is twice exceptional and we have homeschooled since he finished kindergarten because the principal and a teacher recommended it. At six he was Tiger cub but mentally he fit in better with kids four years older. Almost all of his friends were three or four years older. They understood and liked the jokes he made and the vocabulary he used. The kids his age didn't understand his jokes. Even at six strangers were telling us that he talked more like an adult than a child. Some people probably thought this was strange. I heard someone describe him as "scary smart" one time. He had to learn to the social skill of dumbing down his vocabulary even with some adults. Since he wasn't around kids except in musical theater where he was with kids of all ages, many of them also very smart, he didn't have a good idea of what words kids were supposed to know at his age.
He stayed in scouts where he was with public schooled kids until just after he crossed over to boy scouts when his physical disabilities made it impossible for him to stay in with all the hiking and camping requirements. Even though his disabilities affect him physically he was able to hop on one foot at six. He didn't learn it at school, he learned it in dance that was part of his musical theater class. He would not have had time to both learn at his level and do the extracurricular activities he was involved in if he had stayed in public school with all the busywork they assign for homework that would have taken him longer to do because of his motor dysgraphia.
He also could not wear the brace he has to wear if he were in public school. We have to continue homeschooling for this reason. I had thought at one time that I might put him back in school for high school but not any more. When we go out for lunch, my son and I sometimes hear the conversations of the high school kids and I don't want my son socialized to be like them. A lot of them are rude and disrespectful and their vocabulary is filled with words I don't want my son repeating.
I think my son will fit in much better when he gets to college. My college professor sister-in-law doesn't think he will have any problem in college. She says they will make accommodations for his dysgraphia. His brace shouldn't be a problem then because he should be out of it by then. Most people assume that my son is several years older because he is tall and seems very mature for his age. I think he will finally fit in when he gets to college.
