All Cats Are on the Autism Spectrum

Product Information

I am very excited, and honoured, that my Danish translator, Anne Skov Jensen has written her own foreword to the Danish version, ‘ Alle katte er på autismespektret’ . ( You can buy the Danish version HERE) In both phases of this study, a minority of cats was reported as sometimes being aggressive with the specified child, adults, other children, or other cats. Importantly, aggression was not heightened with ASD children. Consistent with other studies, a somewhat higher proportion of cats were affectionate with adults than the specified child (Table 5). Yet, most cats were affectionate with the ASD child, a somewhat surprising result given earlier reports of cats more often approaching and spending longer times with adult females rather than other family members ( 12). Over decades, Turner ( 20) conducted extensive studies of human–cat interactions, clearly revealing that either the cat or the person can initiate the human–cat interaction, that this affects the subsequent duration of the interaction, and that both parties play very active roles in the interactions and relationship. Further studies using methods similar to those of Turner could clarify the exact nature of the interaction between cats and ASD children.

Okay, I did not know what to make of this book when I saw it on the table at a recent book sale, but cat lover that I am, how could I pass it up for 50 cents? Mertens C. Human-cat interactions in the home setting. Anthrozoos (1991) 4(4):214–31. doi:10.2752/089279391787057062 Some of the photographs are also funny. If you can’t laugh, you’re going to go mad; it is an antidote to dark times. This book provides exactly that. Families are highly motivated to seek out optimal experiences for their ASD children. Most families had a variety of companion animals; thus, the families were increasing their chances of creating a good match for their ASD child. Most cats were supportive of the ASD children, offering them a relationship that often met the lifestyles and needs of the children. The children welcomed affection from the cats that provided love and support in some distinctive ways; not surprisingly, the cats’ affectionate behaviors differ in some ways from those of dogs ( 24). These findings provide the essential information needed to pursue a controlled prospective clinical study where parents with autistic children could be offered an appropriately reared and socialized pet cat (kitten) of a breed known to be very affectionate, less aggressive, low in fearfulness, playful, and socially outgoing. Ethics Statement

Results

So when it came time to update my book to current terminology and sensitivities, I was faced with a very difficult task to get things right, especially knowing that word usage and correctness changes regularly. Hart BL, Hart LA. Your Ideal Cat: Insights into Breed and Gender Differences in Cat Behavior. West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press (2013). 147 p.

Over the years, I have recommended the book to a lot of people and have time and time again experienced that both children and adults on the spectrum and their families have shown the same enthusiasm for it. That is really the best recommendation a book can get. I am so incredibly happy that I have been given the opportunity to translate this new edition into Danish. Of the 64 respondents, 52 parents volunteered comments regarding interaction of the cat and the child: 40 comments were positive, three neutral, and nine negative. Comments volunteered from 19 parents characterized behavior of the cat in being a calming, loving, soothing protector, bonded friend, or guardian for the child. The child’s feelings for the cat often were described as: loving, enamored, or bonded. Mood regulation of the child was mentioned as an effect of the cat. Less-positive descriptions pertaining to behavior of the child or cat included: “My son does not interact at all with cats or dogs; he just ignores them”; “In the past, when the child was young, the cat did not like the hyper behavior of the child and would avoid most interaction, but as the child has gotten older, the cat will seek out the child.” Liane Holliday-Willey, EdD, author of Pretending to Be Normal: Living with Asperger's Syndrome and Safety Skills for Asperger Women: How to Save a Perfectly Good Female Life When considering placing a cat with a child with ASD, the cat’s welfare is sometimes a concern. We found that in most cases, the cat was spending only an hour a day or less with the child. Appropriately, this means that the cats were able to spend most of the day in various other activities, and, if the child’s behavior with the cat could be problematic, supervising the child’s behavior with the cat would not require extensive time commitments from a parent. Kathy has an ingenious way of blending the characteristics of beloved kitty cats to showcase the nuances and diversity of people on the autism spectrum. The richness of the pictures within this book, captures the essence and spirit of autistic people through the eyes of our purry, furry friends, that many autistics share a love for, and a commonality in the charm, inquisitive nature and love they have to give to the world.’Touching, humorous and insightful, this book evokes the difficulties and joys of raising a child who is different and leaves the reader with a sense of the dignity, individuality, and potential of people with AS. In this study, Phase 1 gathered data in a web-based survey on the nature of cat–child interactions in families with an ASD child. Most behavioral questions pertained to the extent to which the cats’ characteristics were: very affectionate, or at least moderately affectionate, low in fearfulness, and relatively non-aggressive with the children. Two questions concerned the responses of the children to the cats. We then explored similar questions in Phase 2, by virtue of direct structured telephone interviews of adults in families with children who have ASD, comparing cats’ interactions with children with confirmed diagnoses of severe ASD or less severe ASD as well as a sample of families with typically developing children. Materials and Methods General Methods for the Two Studies Kathy Hoopmann's books, using animals to explain aspects of SEND, have pride of place on my shelf. In fact I have two copies of each, so that I always have a spare to loan out. Each person who borrows one ends up buying their own copy as they are a must-have for anyone interested in the areas covered. This revision of All Cats Have Aspergers, has been sensitively updated to include developments in understanding of autism. The gender neutral language now recognises that autism is not a 'male' condition and the differences of everyone on the spectrum is beautifully illustrated with tangles of colour. The photos are as endearing as ever, making this a sensitive approach for any SENCO, parent or child who is trying to explain or understand the high functioning autistic condition. Two copies of All Cats are on the Autism Spectrum now sit next to the rest of my collection. The descriptions of autism are astute, humorous and encouraging for the autistic person and their family.’

To clarify the characteristics of a cat that make it a desirable companion for a young child, we designed a 39-item web-based survey in SurveyMonkey directed toward families having an adult cat and a child diagnosed with ASD. The survey included the stated requirement that participants had to have a child within the age range of 3–12 years and a cat at least 1 year of age. We distributed the web-link and solicited participation via listservs and groups serving families that have children with ASD. The survey did not require details on the child’s diagnosis. This survey was available for responding May 2013 through June 2014.

Conflict of Interest Statement

As described in the Statistical Methods, a PCA was run on all responses that pertained to the quality or depth of the relationship between the autistic child and the specified cat. The child’s gender and the cat’s gender, intact status, and breed first were found to be insignificant factors. The first principal component summarized this information, with positive factor loadings for all positive cat/child interactions, except for “aggression toward child,” which had a negative factor loading. Thus, high values of the first principal component indicated a positive/deep relationship, and low values indicated a poor/shallow relationship.