So sorry to hear your DS is going through this. For me (and, I believe, for many), grade 7 / age 12 is one of the hardest years to get through. Everyone is trying to minimize their differences, but everything previously that was fairly constant (peers, likes and dislikes, social groups, emotions, interacting with others) gets thrown out the window and you have to figure it all out again... pretty much from scratch. This is also the age that many children (particularly the self-aware ones) begin to mourn the loss of their childhood. It sucks, but it's normal, it's okay... and it's important for him to know that.
The good news is that it does settle down again and it does get better. Grade 8 for me was a step up from terrible, and by the time high school hit (grade 9), things were passable.
I hope that helps!
