I attended Orchard Lake Elementary during 4th and 5th grade as part of the Impact Academy and Special Education programs. My experience at this school was horrible, unsafe, and deeply damaging. I am writing this review not out of anger, but because no other student should have to go through what I did. My experience started poorly even before the school year began. During the summer before 4th grade, I was manipulated into sending threats to another student. Once school started, this student and her friends would chase and attack me regularly. Despite this, the school did nothing--until I told the principal that I wanted to hurt myself and the other student. This was just days before my birthday. Only then was I taken seriously and hospitalized for five and a half days, where I received an evaluation and was referred to therapy. After returning to school, I was too anxious to go back to my regular classroom. The number of students overwhelmed me. I spent more time in Special Education with Linda Maher, someone I had worked with before. During this time, I experienced frequent meltdowns, not knowing at the time that I had autism. Instead of being supported or taught coping strategies, I was simply sent home and told to return the next day if my meltdowns were severe. That was the only solution. Eventually, after refusing to enter my classroom for two months, I was placed in a half-day therapy program. I had to leave that after three weeks because of the overwhelming stress. I spent four months avoiding my classroom entirely. When I finally built up the courage to return, I finished the rest of 4th grade without any major incidents--but nothing had changed. The damage was already done. At the start of 5th grade, things seemed stable. I didn't have any close friends, but at least things were quiet--until January. I became the target of one student in particular, who picked on me constantly. Another student on my bus also harassed me until I finally snapped. I punched him and yelled at him after weeks of constant provocation. A few days later, on a field trip, I brought my phone without knowing it wasn't allowed. My teacher noticed and threatened to take it away. The girl who'd been picking on me was sitting nearby and started giving me dirty looks. I felt so unsafe that I nearly hit her but stopped myself. After that, she announced to the entire bus everything I had done wrong, including past incidents. My teacher said nothing to defend me. I broke down--crying, hyperventilating, and shaking uncontrollably. The bullying continued until one day, I ran away from school for the first time. That morning, all I wanted to do was draw during reading time, something that brings me peace. I used my school device to find references, but my teacher took it away and told me I needed to read instead. In that moment, it felt like the only thing I cared about was being taken away from me. I said I wanted to hurt myself, grabbed a pencil, and ran out of the classroom. I locked myself in a bathroom stall and had a severe panic attack--sobbing, gasping, and shaking. After 8 minutes, I left the bathroom and walked right out of the building, completely unnoticed. I wandered the parking lot and then ran toward the woods nearby before teachers finally found me. I was sent home. I didn't return for a week. Then, it happened again. The day before, I had changed my lunch option, and the lunch supervisor reported it. My teacher brought it up to the whole class, and a student pointed at me. Everyone stared at me, but no one seemed to notice how anxious I was. I asked to use the bathroom, took my phone, and sat in a stall texting someone that I felt like running. I eventually did. I ran out of the school, again. This time I made it almost to a nearby lake before being stopped and brought back. My mom picked me up. I stayed home another week. After that, my school days were shortened significantly. They claimed this would help me "adjust." I spent about two weeks attending school part-time. Then, after another low point where I felt deeply hopeless and unmotivated, I was advised by my therapist to go to the hospital again. I did, and after a short evaluation, I was referred to PrairieCare, a partial hospitalization program. At PrairieCare, I was officially diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Medium-Functioning Autism--all things the school had missed entirely for years. I never returned to Orchard Lake after starting the program. Just the thought of going back still gives me intense anxiety and makes me physically shake. The school never protected me. They never supported my mental health. They never noticed the signs until it was too late. What makes this worse is how preventable it was. I cried out for help so many times--and no one truly listened. read more