I'm not sure if I'm correct, but I think school is mostly about what is measured on Verbal subscale. I've heard it said that the Verbal subscale is about 'have you retained what is taught in a usable way.' This is why Math tests go on the Verbal subscale.
I think of the Performance subscale as the 'MacGyver' measure - how well do you do in a situation that nothing can prepare a person for.
If you son is as described on the test (this is a big if) then he is going to have 'average' grades in school, and if he is slow to boot, then he may well do 'below average.' There isn't much MacGyver called for in Middle School.
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I would definitely have your son checked for ADHD, and for AS.(Tanking in middle school is classic for AS, as the work becomes more abstract and less memorization oriented, and the kids don't spend all day with the same teacher.)
Even though his Perceptual Reasoning is above normal at 121, it shouldn't be so high that he is likely to be misdiagnosed. (Assuming again that the tests are reading him correctly.) Probably better to move ahead and risk misdiagnosis than to be stuck for long with 'horrible grades' that could have been avoided.
Does this fit the kind of mismatch you are seeing? Personally, if MacGyver is saving me with some cool plan, I don't care if he can name 3 causes of the American Revolution.
Best Wishes,
Grinity
