Autistic kids cope better with pets

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I just saw this on 60 Minutes.

They showed footage of a boy that was one moment screaming all the sudden happy because he saw dolphins.
I liked the two twin boys with the autism assistant labrador.

Anyone else watch it?

I think autie and aspie kids are far better with animals than NT kids are. I've never seen an NT kid stop to pick up a worm so "he wouldn't scratch his belly", but I've seen plenty of them chase pigeons or stomp on ants. Seems aspies are more attuned to animals.

Yes, I love animals and they love me.

I watched that too, makes sense to me. I have trouble being physically affectionate with other people, don't like hugs or people touching me when I'm not expecting it....however have no problem with cats,dogs or any other animal I encounter...

Even as a kid, I remember thinking how my cat was the only thing that I could hug & cuddle or show affection too....I've always felt like I could understand animals easily whereas I often had no clue why adults in my life act the way they did.

I got on better with my pet guinea pig, Grim, better than I did with my parents, but he's dead now. I have his daughter, Darkness, a rabbit called Li'l Scrifice and a cat called Fang. I get on way better with them than I do with humans.

If I'm visiting someone and see a dog outside while arriving, I usually go and greet the dog first before going in.

Sometimes I get comments like: "I can't believe it! I watched you through the window. NO ONE has been able to touch our dog, if we were not around."

I have also had cats that "never come to strangers" come to me.

Same here. My old neighbour's cat had been stray at one point and was still half-feral (would attack people). Well I befriended him, and while he melted down and slashed me a few times, eventually he became much more affectionate. It got to the point where he'd hang out at my house, sleep on my bed, and curl up on my knee.

It worked for me, because at the time I was too afraid to be with people.

My dog, Chico is my best friend. The more people I meet, the more I love my dog. :O)

I didn't see the documentary but it sounds interesting, and true.
When I was a young child my pets were my best friends. I didn't talk to classmates but when I came home it was always nice to be greeted by one of my two cats, or both of them. I spent a lot of time with my cats and I think that if I didn't have them I would have been a very lonely child.

I used to have a cat, but she recently died from a tumour in her chest, it was really sad. I'm not a big fan of dogs though, I think they are high maintenance, but what I will say is that I don't hate them. I think they are lovely, I just don't have the energy, time or personality to cope with a dog. But, although I didn't see the documentary in question, I can see how a pet would help people with autistic spectrum disorders. It is something that you can have unconditional love for (like I did with my cat) whilst the presence of the pet can have a soothing effect on you. I used to love watching TV or reading a book while my cat would snuggle on my lap or beside me. She would sometimes hassle me for a cuddle when I was doing my homework sometimes, but that never bothered me. I do miss that about her, she was such an affectionate cat. I had her from the age of 10, then my mother looked after her while I was at university as I originally wanted her to live with me, but as I never lived anywhere suitable, it never materialised. If I could, I would have another cat but, with my current living conditions i.e. not enough space, I can't have one right now as it would be cruel on the cat. But a pet (whatever you choose) is something that I would definitely recommend.

That's an aspie thing? I always thought the worm thing was just me. I would race out after a storm to save all the drowning worms. I am vegan now so I don't have to be part of the agri-business' souless disregard for those poor creatures (their revenge is meat raised under those conditions is basically poisonous)

I have three dogs right now. I have also had fabulous cats and horses. I adored my guinea pig who died at age 6 about two years ago. An animal will give you far more in 1 to 2 decades than a human will in their nearly a century of living. I am so grateful to come home to my dogs. They are also delighted to see me, enjoy having a routine, and respect that I cannot be touched very much. They arn't yappers (such are emotionally neglected creatures acting out their emotional pain) and are not high maintenence (compared to a friend or a spouse, anyway). They love me for my deeper better qualities and don't even notice my superficial wierdness. It is just the opposite with people.
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Our home is filled with pets and I absolutely adore animals, especially dogs. I feel I have a better bond with my Husky than most friends, so this finding must be somewhat true. :tup:

NT children were always horrible to my pets, and my NT siblings were not much better.
I had to keep one boy away from my dog because he kept throwing her.

Maybe statistically you are right (I've not read any research on this matter), but it's quite steretoypical to assume all or most Aspies deal well with animals and all or most NTs will just tease them. I am Aspie, but I did squeeze quite a few snails, keep lots of insects in little cans, etc., and one of my favorite songs is Tom Lehrer's "Poisoning pigeons in the park". I wasn't cruel to our family pets, but can't say I hdealt with them better than my NT family.

No totally sure they help communication issues but animals certainly helped me be less lonely as a child. If nothing else, it's something to play with and talk about with your friends that doesn't require much input from yourself.

I am a very big advocate for getting involved with animals as a form of therapy. I love horseriding and being in the company of my cat, who is always pleased to see me. I once saw "After Thomas" an excellent tv drama about an autistic boy and a dog, starring Keeley Hawes from Ashes to Ashes.