ANIMALS -V- PEOPLE

[Guest guest]

Hi all,Last week I took to the open house at Back to the Wild ( http://www.backtothewild.com/ ) . Mona, who runs and owns this great wildlife rehab center just won Animal Planet Hero of Year award. I guess by now it should not surprise me that prefers animals to people. One of the volunteers approached and was talking to us about the walking sticks andsquirrels. become nervous and whiny and clinging to me. The woman saidit is okay they won't hurt you, I told her it was not that, he is autistic and just prefersanimals to people. She was very nice and said she really understood and stepped away to give his space. When we were getting ready to leave, Libby and I were talking and was suppose to go to the car. Instead he wondered over to the one cage we had not walked up to and checked the

animals out. He wanted to take home the skunk! LOL... He really does prefer animals, insects and worms over people. He calls them his friends. Which saddens me many times. When he came home the skunk was the only animal he could remember to tell Bob he saw.Libby used to be teacher. But he does not have her filed anywhere but school in his brain file. It will take him sometime to get used to seeing her anywhere else. A phrase that Libby used while giving us a tour was about the animals developing "voice imprints", for our kids this is like the files they put people in. is highly visual and puts people in files based on where he knows them from. When he see people outside of their "visual imprint" he is confused and displays anxiety.Any of you notice the same thing about your kids? Do they prefer aniamls to people?BeckyParent to 16, Autism, Epilepsy, Cerbral Palsy, MR & ADHD Good days we

take things 1 day at a time, on bad days it is 5 minutes at atime, insane days is 30 seconds at a time and praying for bedtimeBecky Mother to , 16, Autism, Epilepsy, Cerebal Palsy, MR, ADHD Everybody has barriers and obstacles. If you look at them as containing fences that don't allow you to advance, then you're going to be a failure. If you look at them as hurdles that strengthen you each time you go over one, then you're going to be a success. Carson Surgeon

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