Hi! We are fairly new to this world. DS5 has qualifying scores for DYS and I am considering applying.

I have read the information available online regarding DYS, but I'm curious about your personal experiences with the organization.

Would you please share why you chose to apply and how this organization has benefitted you and your child?

Thanks so much. I look forward to your responses.

Excellent question!
We have not applied for our own reasons, but I would love to hear others perspective.

DD is in and I think it has been helpful, in resources and info and also a potential school possibility (if other things don't work out). Also, it's no skin off your back to not use what is offered, so I think it's win/win.
Also for us we don't have any gifted programs in our schooling situation so we are happy for this help. I notice some on this board have great education options and I am envious.

If you use the search feature, you'll find several past discussions on this very subject. DS has been in the program for almost 2 years now, and I consider it an invaluable resource. I've met several people "locally" (think big area, LOL!) and the online "btdt" camaraderie for our more extreme accommodations has been like life support to me. I am not nearly as alone as I first thought, even if we are doing things in our school that "no one has ever done before".

DS made a few friends at last year's annual event, but I'm hoping that as he gets older he'll continue those friendships year long. (He's not one for long distance stuff at the moment.)

Their advice/support has been somewhat helpful with the schools too, although I think more as a big name standing behind my ridiculous claims and requests, rather than as tangible assistance. That depends on the willingness of the school though.

I'm grateful that we heard about the program, and glad we pursued it. I felt incredibly alone before then, but keep in mind too that I hadn't known about places like GI back then either!!!

The most valuable aspect of the YS program for our family has been the community. My dd8 has found real peers. She was telling me just this week that she feels so different from her school friends. With her PG friends she feels normal and happy.

As a parent it has been invaluable to learn from other parents' experiences. I also needed to have others with whom I could share the joys and struggles of raising a PG kid. Prior to my dd being accepted to join the YS program I felt like an alien. One of my reasons for having my dd tested was to prove that I was not crazy. I remembered the first time I got on the YS parent board. I cried reading the posts because I finally did not feel so alone (or crazy) anymore. This was prior to the creation of Gifted Issues board, which I wish had been available when my dd was younger.

We are fortunate to live in a large city with a sizeable group of YSs. We have a local list and operate a small co-op. We have regular group activities for the kids and adults. We are even in the early stages of planning a school. For the most part, the families in our local group were connected through the YS program.

We have not been to a gathering or needed advocacy assistance though I do ask my family consultant questions on occassion.

We're brand new, and I already love the sense of team that I get from DYS. We're all in it together and I'm making new virtual friends who have the potential to become friends IRL. Not having to censor yourself with people about your kids is so nice! That and the help with advocacy and/or homeschooling curriculum are the big draws for DYS, I think.

There are also cool programs like online colloquia for parents and kids and mentoring available. Plus I think just having free experts available if you need help with anything is a big relief. It is to me anyway.

You haven't lived Summer until you can have those same discussions IRL!!!! It's hard to come back to earth though afterward , putting that "censor" that Kriston speaks about back on.

We have been there only for a few months and it has been priceless. I got to meet real life people with similar kids and similar problems. People who know what I am talking about. You don't have to censor yourself, you don't sound like a crazy parent there. We got together with a few local YS families, which is beyond great for both DS5 and me.

Living with PG kid can be isolating. I felt very lonely before that and all of the sudden I keep meeting more and more families with gifted kids (not necessarily YS kids). One thing leads to another. It's really changed my life. Don't get me wrong, both I and my son had lots of friends even before, but not the kind of friends who would really understand. KWIM?

You get lots of support and information from this board and most likely your 99.9% son will fit right in. You won't get to talk to the people in person though, your son won't get to play with their kids. It makes a huge difference, not to mention that this is a public board and you need to watch for that as well.

There is also Davidson's support and experience, they have that. It's helpful to talk to an outsider who understands your problems. They also offer mentoring, which we don't use right now, but it may come really handy a few years down the road.

I say if you have the numbers go for it. The application is long, but you only have to fill it out once and then you are set till he is 18. The service is free and you can use only what fits you.

Good luck

Good point about the privacy factor LMom, when the crap hit the fan with our legal issues last year, that was the only place I could truly vent without fear of "lurkers". Anyone can build such a support system though with time, if you troll enough boards, LOL!

I think it helps that you know the people you depend on in DYS will be around.

I've made friends on public forums--including this one--who are active for a time but then disappear. But if someone is committed enough to fill out the DYS application, she's probably going to stay at least a little involved and not disappear. I'm not one who forms real friendships very easily IRL (lots of acquaintances, not many I consider friends), so losing someone I like is pretty wrenching for me, even online. There's a security there that I like. It's a minor point, but one that matters to me.