I've read informal reports that made me wonder about ceiling issues with the WPPSI-III, as well as opinions that highly gifted children may not be well engaged by the test. Meanwhile, a child needs a higher score of 150 on it for DYS entry than for the SB-V or WISC-IV. Throw in the variability inherent in testing four-year-olds, and I'd certainly consider a retest if accurate results are important.
In our experience, with DS entering DYS at age 5, the program has been beneficial, and we're grateful, but we haven't taken much advantage of it. DS hasn't joined any of the bulletin boards or mailing lists, and neither have we parents; we spend a fair amount of time reading these and other public boards and other materials, though. Be prepared for your family consultant to be just that, offering helpful tips and references but not necessarily an advocate/lawyer type (I don't know what you're expecting). Eight is getting more toward the age where extra services lined up through DYS may be helpful. Personally, if money is tight and the testing will be dear, I wouldn't test at age eight
just for DYS entry, although it is certainly a good thing to have and could be one factor. If the money is not a big issue, I'd certainly go for it out of sheer curiosity as well as the possibility of DYS entry. Note that even if your daughter doesn't achieve entry into DYS for whatever reason, you can get access to pretty much all the info that DYS offers parents about advocacy etc., you just won't have access to the services.
In our particular situation, money
is tight. As of this exact moment we've called off our plans to homeschool next year, but as of right now all that our $1000 spent on testing has done for us, in terms of practical schooling gains, is help push successfully for a grade skip and an extra subject acceleration in math. These measures still may not be enough academically, but are enough of an amelioration of DS's situation in the short term to make staying in public school for another year worthwhile for social reasons. However, if we'd simply yanked and homeschooled him, we'd have avoided a huge hassle and he'd be more ahead academically. A month ago, when we were resolved on homeschooling, I was wishing we had the $1,000 back to spend on homeschooling resources-- and if we homeschool year after next, I may be wistfully remembering that $1,000 once more.
