Testing early helped dispel all the doubts in my mind about whether my son was all that different or not. It also made (still does) all the educational and enrichment choices very hard to the point of being disruptive to my older lifestyle. I changed schools 3 times for DS before age 6, drive a lot to commute to his current school (still looking for a long term solution) and spend countless hours and a lot of money schooling and afterschooling him and hiring tutors/coaches for enrichment activities.
It is lonely and isolating and we as parents cannot "blend in" with the friends and other parents around us.
My DH had serious doubts as to whether my child was gifted because DS was the only child he knew very well and it was impossible for him to think of a child with poor handwriting and a lot of playfulness as a very smart kid despite the testing results. To DH, if our child could achieve some things, then possibly all other kids of that age with similar family backgrounds could do the same things as well. He even thought that both psychologists we tested with could have misunderstood DS and overestimated his abilities! But, things are changing for us on that front since DS turned 6 - every teacher, tutor, coach that works with DS remarks on the speed with which he progresses and assimilates new subject content, how he intuits new concepts before being taught and how he has a remarkable intellect. DH is now sitting on the fence regarding our child's giftedness
My advise is to teach your child what he needs, no matter what age he is. And to make a long term plan for your child and follow it and not worry about what others think or say. You can be intentionally vague if you don't want to give details. I never use the term "gifted" in public, instead say that DS needs more attention than what he was getting at the older school - which is the truth. I am equally vague within the family too - DS is too playful for anyone to think that he is highly gifted and we say that he is good at some things and not so good at other things - again, that is the truth.
