...he says kids who do not progress along with their peers may later turn out unhappy etc...
Ugh - I hate this scare tactic. They MAY turn out to be most anything: happy, unhappy, tall, short, etc. Each kid should be evaluated individually, and not compared to caricatures on TV or children from anecdotes. (including my anecdote in the next post

)
Also, we found the IAS a great resource, so I hope your copy arrives before your meeting - even if the school won't officially recognize that process.
Best of luck,
--S.F.