Welcome to Musings of an Atypical Orangutan!

I am so excited to be writing my first blog post! I have had ideas buzzing around in my head for ages, notes and plans drafted up, and so many words that want to spill out. But, for now, I will slow down and start with our backstory ...

How it All Began

It began happily and easily enough. Oranguette had a straightforward early childhood, rich in experiences and play. But then... middle childhood. Bullying. Anxiety. Successes and strengths mixed with then-inexplicable meltdowns, withdrawal and panic, and so many cries of "I don't know what's wrong." School counsellors, referrals in various directions, waitlists, being passed from pillar to post. Then... a tween, and a request for an autism assessment.

And the world shifted. Mine as well as hers. I never suspected, but on some deep, subconscious level, did I not know? My own suspicions of myself, long since forgotten and buried. Family history that finally made sense.

Then, formal diagnoses, attempts at school accommodations, confusion over therapy directions. A slow withdrawing of Oranguette into herself. Suspicions. Denials. Imperfectly hidden marks. A physical fading. Still a star student, excelling at extracurricular activities. Just tree branch scratches, just an active kid, right? Things will be better in the next school, won't they? Just wait, be patient. Until...

Crisis

Middle of the night. First responders. Inpatient programs. Discharges like being pushed off a cliff. Gaps. Egregious medical errors. An endless, awful dance with Institution 1. Go there, no, go away. Misunderstanding. Gaslighting. A system itself in crisis with yawning gaps. Regressive, counterproductive, traumatizing treatment directions. Mr. Orangutan and I complicit in our ignorance.

A Turning

Alongside the darkness, a small, steady light showing a different path. A flicker of light here, a brief spark over there. Authentic voices. Understanding.

The advocacy. The fight. The endless emails, the endless meetings. Another try. Medical errors finally fixed, with another side of trauma. Carefully crafted official complaints, alongside impotent rants. A turning and a new direction. A brief diversion through a brighter Institution 2. A constrained but helping hand from the school. A slow fumbling along, the path becoming clearer.

The Present

Oranguette is safely out of crisis. Struggles remain real, and the future no longer feels so assuredly benign as it once did. The path continues to surprise us with so many sudden twists. Yet sometimes the surprises are happy, even. It is part long-distance hike, part rollercoaster ride.

Travel alongside me for a bit here and share a little of my journey, if you'd like!