Pets and autism (or cats and autism, anyway!)

I've seen some articles lately talking about a study on the benefits of pets for children with autism (here) An interesting part of the article was that the benefits weren't seen if the pets were around from the time the child was born, only if the family got a pet around when the child was 5. Now there's a helpful idea---when you have a baby, on the off chance the baby might become autistic, hold off getting a pet until they are 5, to reap maximum benefits. I joke a little, of course, but it's like so many studies and articles I read. They might be interesting, but they are of little practical use in Janey's life. I wish the money spend on this kind of studies could be better used.

How do the cats affect Janey? Not much, I guess because we foolishly had them since she was born. But seriously, it's like the cats most times are in a parallel universe. Janey pays them no mind at all. She doesn't generally touch them, look at them or play with them. Even if they run right into her, she just brushes them off. Freddy has been working on this, trying to get her to pat them, and that has shown just a little bit of success. The other day, we were shocked when Janey tried to pick up one of them, Vernon, our most standoffish cat. He didn't let her, slipping out of her attempt, and it was interesting that was the cat she chose. Maybe it was because he doesn't try to get her attention (not that any of them do, too much)

I've written before about how Janey used to love dogs, then became terrified of them. Now she seems a little more okay with them, and although it's never going to happen, I wonder how she would do with a therapy type dog, a dog that loved her and showed her a lot of attention. I think it would be frustrating for the dog, but I could be wrong.

I've thought a bit about horse riding therapy, but it's expensive and also not in the city. I wonder how Janey would do with that. Horses might be big enough so they almost seem more like a form of transportation or a ride to her than an animal, which could be good but kind of misses the point.

I've heard people say that all cats are autistic, but if you really know cats, that's far from the truth. The cats in many ways are more socially aware than Janey is. They follow my non-verbal language carefully. They know as if by psychic means if I am thinking about feeding them, and respond by lots of noise and getting under my feet and pointed looks to keep me going toward the food. They watch each other closely, and they play-fight, snuggle each other, have a leader and followers, they act differently when strangers are in the house---they are very social in a lot of ways. Janey does some of those things some of the time, but none as consistently as they do.

My conclusion? I wouldn't rush out and get pets for your autistic child in hopes of a social benefit. But I wouldn't NOT get them either. I think this is an area where autistic kids are as different in their attitudes toward animals as non-autistic kids are.

Some great talking and thinking

Janey has had a terrific few days in terms of things she's being saying, which show things she's been thinking. I figured I should jot some of them down, because it's easy to forget this kind of great stretch when she's in a not so great stretch!

This morning, she started reciting lines from "The Three Little Pigs", which I think is almost a marker for autistic spectrum disorders, judged by how many kids on the spectrum I've heard are into it. I started playing along with it, saying "Little Pig, LIttle Pig, let me come in! Not by the...." and letting her finish, which she did with delight. Then I huffed and puffed and pretended to blow down the house and eat the piggy all up. She loved it, and when I got distracted, said "I want my game". I wasn't sure what she meant at first, but then realized she was referring to our playacting as a game! I was thrilled, both that she thought of a name of it and that she asked for more of something not concrete.

Yesterday, she had an afternoon with my dear friend Maryellen. Maryellen is one of Janey's favorite people on earth. She is really the only person outside of school that is able to watch Janey, and that I trust to do so. It's not that other people wouldn't want to try, or wouldn't like to help in that way, but I know Janey is happy with Maryellen and Maryellen is happy with Janey. Janey was thrilled to be there. When it was time to go, she had a very hard time, and it struck me I can't remember her ever fighting leaving anyplace but school in the past. She cried and clung to Maryellen, and then tried all kinds of words. She said "you are going home!" trying to pull Maryellen into our car, and then said "You had a good time!", in that she was saying something like "Didn't you have a good time? Why can't it last longer?" Maryellen and I were both close to tears at that point, I think. I love it that she can form close relationships with people other than immediate family. She is close with many people at school---her teachers, teachers in other classes, Nurse Pat (the school nurse), Mr. John (the custodian), the aide in her room, Mr. Bill, the aide from her room last year, Ms. Allie, and lots of others. But outside of school, it doesn't happen as often, and it is great to see her love for Maryellen.

She is also starting to notice our kittens, in a tiny way. It's funny how she usually relates to them. It's as if they are invisible. They can be right on her, and she does her darnest to pretend they aren't there. But lately, she does tiny things, like reach out and touch one of them gently, just to show she acknoledges they exist.

Now she is bringing me her coat, which she does when she is ready to go someplace. Not right now, but it's nice she is communicating!