my son is now 37, when he was a todler he was classed as gifted, just like on the programme we had to take him to have his IQ tested by the national association of gifted children. he had an IQ of 150, his childhood and teenage years were a nightmare. Only when he went to university did he mix with others of his own ability. He is fabulous now, but it has been a struggle.

I found the programme riveting as I have never before seen first hand a child that resembled my own son so much particularly Dante. My son is now 23 and life was always a challenge with every waking day from the age of 4. Schooling was a nightmare as they always seemed to be calling me for his 'behaviour problems'. At the age of 8 he told me he had the 'brain of an 18year old you know'that the teachers were thick and he was only speaking to them as they spoke to him.
Honesty was always his best policy and he got very upset at unfairness.
At 10 he was seen by an Ed psych and we were informed he'd gone off the scale and indeed did have the brain of an 18 year old. This information was met by mixed reactions from his teachers and did not serve to improve his standing or change their methodology, particularly as he was to move to secondary education soon. We were advised to stretch him physically so that his behaviour might be controlled in closed environments. He progressed to grammar school but the environment and bullying became unbearable for him to the point he became suicidal. His head teacher described his problem as being linked to autism, but the ed psych poo pooed this and he was moved to a local comprehensive, which, although he had problems at times he actually had a little more emotional support and also he 'blended in' easier due to the dimensions of mixed ability and social behaviours of others.I also believe he fought very hard to 'fit in' better. This was a difficult decision on his part and I believe it also led to an underachievement in his studies.
At 18 he had few friends,but met a girl who invited him to accompany her round the world, it did him fantastically well in achieving some degree of independance and when he came back with help from said young lady he applied for university 300 miles away and achieved a first class honours in computing and is now doing his master's.
He knows he has asbergers, but it is undiagnosed. I fear for his future employment due to his behaviours but he has proved his independance from us. Financially it is hard for us at times because we also have a younger daughter at university now.I am relieved that she has never been any problem at all but sad for her that her brother cannot be for her like my brothers for me.