@baymule 
Love your story and so thankful to find people who understand that smarter is not easier, or happier, or even more successful. It's just hard - at any age. But probably hardest on the young ones and those who were never identified due to racial or socioceconomic disparities in identification.
In 2nd grade, we got to come up in front of the class and pick a folder off the chalkboard rail for reading 100 books. I read my 100 books easily and quickly. And then another hundred. And then another hundred. The teacher stopped giving me folders. They were my prize possessions. My family lived in poverty, so a shiny folder with a picture of gray fluffy kittens in a basket was a really big deal to me. I don't remember being particularly motivated by the reward though. I don't remember tracking how many books I'd read - my mom must have done that for me. I was unaware I'd read 100 books, and was surprised and delighted to win the folder. That was probably the highlight of my schooling years. I was unidentified and it was a terrible experience - I barely lived through my education.
I didn't learn anything in English past 3rd grade or so. Still haven't. I took a college English course and was so stressed out because I wasn't being taught anything, got 100% in the course. My son is working on a similar paper, so I had him read mine aloud. My husband couldn't believe I wrote it.
(The topic was his suggestion.).
It's tough. Being unidentified, then belittled, bullied, stuck in lock-step education and not learning anything (except 3rd-4th grade English, Algebra 1, Art classes, and Psychology). Then coming up disabled in young adulthood and being undable to express or use my abilities. And now married to someone who had no problem using his abilities, has opposite strengths of mine, and forgets I'm kinda brilliant (when my brain has enough oxygen). I haven't completely come to acceptance. Getting close. But moments where my husband forgets my English ability is as strong as his math/science ability (And that my math/science ability is stronger than his English ability.... just sayin') still rub me the wrong way.
I don't really know what to do with DS11, but I learned from what my parents did wrong that doing nothing is not equivalent to doing no harm. So I have to do something. I just wish I could find something that worked. Public school was great for a couple weeks while DS11 was learning study and organizational skills. Once he learned those skills, the pace of presenting new material was too slow (and the pace of busywork homework and deadlines too fast).
) and eliminating TV time. ... and by bribing him to sit on the toilet longer with ipad and new PBS Kids apps/games for him.
