You've offered some substantive food for thought, polarbear.
At the very least, we started, toward the end of last year, to carefully note what assignments are difficult for him. I'm not going to lie- he has a lot going on outside of school (2 instruments, online writing class, sports when it fits in). But when it got to the point of him not having any free time before it was time for him to hit the hay, we got concerned, and started trying to figure what was giving him the most trouble. No clear picture emerged, but your suggestion to seek further testing feels of interest for the first time.
That said, I think he might still just be overloaded- particularly with the online writing class (through CTY). We've continued with the courses with the probably naive view that through sheer exposure to the need to output thoughtfully, he'd start getting it. And he IS doing it, with only limited frustration. I hadn't thought of that being just the tip of the iceberg. I've got a lot of mulling to do over that.
Happily, he's currently in the midst of weeks of summer cavorting in the Maine woods, with nary an academic worry crossing his mind. Or so I think... and I do like to think I'm the only one worrying.
