For as long as I can recall, outside of sports, I tended to hang out with kids 4-6 years older than I was. I dated 2-6 years above my age until I got into my 30s. When I was with age-peers, outside of sports, I felt trapped and mostly alone, and I missed the interaction with older people whom I found interesting.
Sports are one way to socialize with kids of the same age and from different backgrounds. Scouts are another - but the ages tend to be more diverse.
Given how sparse GT can be, and how its spread throughout the population, giving your kids a wider net to find friends in is a start - in real life people from many age groups and backgrounds will interact and that is the norm. School is not the norm with all the ages segregated.
Overall, from my experience, I believe that its much more limiting to a GT kid's advancement if they are left with age-peers.
I realize that asymmetric develoment exists, but how much of that is related to limited exposure to challenging environments in those specific areas?
For example, I was privy to some adult discussions in the 5th grade that allowed me to avoid a bad situation in the 6th grade. Had I not heard those discussions, I would have blindly trusted someone.
