My son was diagnosed with ADHD at 5. After going through all the testing, confirming through a psychologist that he was ADHD, and trying alternative treatments, I finally put him on medications at age 7, mainly to control his impulsivity. My husband (his stepfather) still refuses to acknowledge ADHD as a real condition, thinking my son is simply spoiled & needs more discipline. Luckily, he knows better than to say anything in front of him, but I really have no support at home. My parents are very supportive, but at times I tend to wonder if my husband is, to some degree, right. My son has always been described by teachers as loveable, polite, just a joy to be around. Since being on medication, his grades have been great. He is in advanced reading, English and spelling classes, and his MEAP scores are all in the Advanced category. However, this year, we have been having a problem with one particular teacher. We are not alone--several parents & kids are having problems as well, from A students down to the C students. We parents have individually address this teacher several times, but nothing seems to change. We are gathering a group to meet with the principal/superintendent before the end of the school year, as our kids will have this same teacher next year. With that in mind, my question is this: how do I know when my son's behavior (who is 11 now, considered a preteen I guess) is simply normal preteen behavior, or if it is directly related to his ADHD? He got a detention from this teacher earlier this week, with a box marked "rude & discourteous" as one of the reasons. Of course, I got on the phone immediately to get his side---which was believable, being that I have had the same problems at home lately. The problem is, it is completely out of Kyle's character to act out at school. I'm confused as to whether this is simply because he knows the parents have a problem with this particular teacher & he thinks he doesn't have to listen anymore--or could it be related to his ADHD & maybe his medication just isn't quite as effective anymore? My husband, of course, thinks he's just a normal preteen trying to get away with stuff at school. I just don't know what to think anymore...I refuse to blame every action he has on ADHD, but at the same time, I don't want to hold him responsible for actions that he may not be able to control. Where do I draw this line? Any suggestions? Thanks for reading my book.....:)