I can only tell you my experience with my DYS (now 11 and finishing 5th grade). She also has been subject to weird anxiety for a long time. Our experience was that moving into the highly-capable program helped to alleviate it, although it still took several years and a 504 plan to manage. The kids in the program are more likely to be quirky themselves, and are more tolerant of quirks in others. I think they are especially tolerant of quirks in someone who is also able to contribute different and meaningful insights into class discussions, because they value that kind of input. We also have been fortunate to (mostly) get teachers who "get" the overexcitabilities of gifted kids and are themselves tolerant of quirks. (DD's 4th grade teacher literally set up a "hiding place" for her in the classroom where she could see the teacher but none of the kids could see her. DD made huge strides when she was being accommodated instead of just told to be a different, easier child.)
