OkcPets Magazine May 2021

12 OKC Pets • May/June 2021 Cats Bonding on the Spectrum Cats can help autistic people find peace and live happier lives By Emma Davis A ll cats are on the autism spectrum. That’s quite a statement to make, and it’s exactly the premise of Kathy Hoop- man’s children’s book of the same title. As it turns out, there’s a lot of truth to this exaggera- tion, and cats can be spectacular companions for someone on the spectrum. Autism is a highly stigmatized neurodevelop- mental disorder that affects every type of person. Recognizing the ways in which cats are helpful can help people who are autistic find peace and live happier lives and also help people who are not autistic understand the disorder better. THE PREVALENCE OF AUTISM While autism was first named in the 1940s, it didn’t spring out of thin air. Myths from north- western Europe about changelings that trade places with children are often believed to have been invented by parents who were bewildered by their children’s autistic traits. Thanks to a lot of research and diagnoses in the 1980s and ’90s, estimates of how many people are on the spectrum have increased dramatically in recent decades. Currently, one in 54 people are believed to be on the autism spectrum, and that only includes those people with a clinical diagnosis. The perception that autism only affects young white boys can delay diagnosis well into adulthood for many people. Many people may not believe they know someone who is autistic, but they definitely do whether or not they themselves are aware of it. CATS AS LOVABLE SUPPORT At whatever degree a person experiences it, au- tism can feel like being an alien among humans. For many autistic individuals, animals are often easier to relate to as made clear by perhaps the