Hi Allison,
Welcome. You are in the right place.

From your description, it appears that your child may be profoundly gifted. I recommend applying to the Young Scholar Program http://www.ditdservices.org/Articles.aspx?ArticleID=147&NavID=0_0. If you chose to get your child tested, make sure that you use a test accepted by the Young Scholar Program. If you want more information on testing see Hoagies Gifted website http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/why_test.htm. If you have never been to Hoagies you may want to start at the Gifted 101 tab.

Be cautious what type of feedback you accept from people who are not familar with highly gifted children. These children often exhibit certain behavior as a defense mechanism that people will interpret as a variety of problems. It is not uncommon for people put a label of autism or ADD on gifted kids when the real problem is that they are in an inappropriate intellectual and social environment.

My personal experience came when my daughter was in preschool. I knew she was advanced for her age so I put her in a preschool that was teaching a kindergarten curriculum. She was so bored that she would lay on her back and spin around in circles. This was not a typical behavior for my child. She also had a difficult time interacting with the children in her class. I was extremely concerned that she would never have any friends. The next year I put her in a Spanish immersion program for kindergarten. She seemed like a different child. She was mentally stimulated and was sharing the experience of learning with her classmates. She is in 3rd grade now and has many friends, but it is still quite a job to keep her intellectually stimulated.

It will be an ongoing challenge for you as the parent of a highly gifted child to keep your child intellectually stimulated. Don't be surprised if you are accused of pushing your child when in reality you are simply trying to keep up. This is why it is important to find a support group. We have a great PG support group in my area. It is a tremendous help for the parents and the children benefit from having true intellectual peers. It is so important to have others with whom you can share the joys and trials of raising your child.