12th November 2017
It is often said by individuals on the Autistic Spectrum that they prefer the company of animals rather than people. I certainly would agree with that statement. Over the years I have been fortunate to be around many animals.
My parents always had dogs as I was growing up but also I have kept rabbits, fish and hamsters throughout the years. I have also been lucky to be the joint owner of three horses which I feel is the animal I have the strongest connection with.
I think the connection is with all animals, as I even enjoy the company of the many cats that visit our garden. I know many Neurotypicals that complain all the time about cats visiting their gardens but they are welcome in mine.
I also know of people that keep more unusual animals that are on the Spectrum but they still have the same connections and have a great positive response from looking after, owning and being around the many creatures that we share this world with.
So what is the difference between people and animals? Why can so many Autistic people, including myself, make such strong relationships with animals but cannot form the same bonds with people?
The first thought that comes to most people’s minds is that animals cannot talk in human languages. I think this is quite a simple approach but there might be some truth in it – after all I cannot always understand the complex pitfalls and meanings of human speech. Animals are much simpler to understand and they have simpler needs.
And then I think it occurred to me that animals are simple in their needs whereas humans are very complex. Most animals that are kept domestically need the following – company, food, a place to live, to be in a clean environment, medical treatment and exercise.
If you start to list human needs then it starts off with the same list but quickly grows with things such as a job, car, internet etc. and each one of these factors has its own list. It gets very difficult for humans very quickly!
The next reason that I could think of is one I find hard to put into both written and spoken words. It’s a connection that I can only put down as the emotion love. I think animals are easier to love.
Please do not think they I am saying that Autistics cannot love other humans – obviously that is rubbish, of course we can. I am married and I love my wife immensely. What I am trying to say is that it seems easier for us to make strong emotional connections with animals.
Maybe I am generalising with this but for me I find that my positive emotions and feel good factors increase when around animals.
This leads onto my next point – animals help with anxiety. This is true for both Autistics and Neurotypicals and is well documented. However, it is also well known that Autistics are more prone to anxiety then Neurotypicals due to many things such as sensory overload.
Therefore being around animals can help with stress and mental health issues such as depression. I know this is certainly true for me. Whenever I am around our horses I feel much more relaxed.
I am lucky that I do not work very far from one of our horses called Ryan. In my lunch hour I can drive to him and spend twenty minutes with him. This is often the high point of the working day.
It is almost magic – I can be stressed from the mornings work, yet just twenty minutes of being around Ryan can make me feel a hundred times better and ready to face the afternoons work.
There is also a great sensory plus for me when being around horses which I am sure translates to other animals. I get to stroke and pat him so there is a tactile sense. He has a unique smell (ok so there is always a horse manure odour around them but I don’t mind that) that smells to me earthy and musty.
Much better than the sickly perfumes and deodorants that people use. He often whinnies when he see me which is a pleasant sound. Horses also chunter under their breath which again is pleasing to me. Like how some people love the sounds that cats make when they purr.
I also get some sensory enjoyment from being in the horses surroundings particularly at this time of the year. I love autumn and winter and having to bring horses in from the field allows me to experience the sounds, smells and feelings of the crunch of leaves, the squelch of mud, the splash of puddles and the crunch of snow and frost.
Ok I do not need horses for this but it is a good excuse to make the most of free sensory time which differs considerable from my day to day job.
Next there is the feeling of responsibility of care. Pets and domestic animals require our help to lead healthy and full lives. For example, they might really on us for food. That is not to say they perhaps could not get food if they had to fend for themselves, but it would be more difficult. We help with that.
In return we get the sense of helping and caring for something that we love. As an Autistic I might struggle with this sense of care with people, if for example a work colleague came to me injured and crying, I would not know what to do. If my horse came to me injured then I would.
A common job I have to do for horses is to clear up their manure, a dirty job but I do get a great deal of satisfaction from it. Knowing I am improving the horse’s life and helping him.
I also think there is a spiritual aspect to being around animals too. Horses for example have an extreme flight or fight response. Something as simple as seeing a leaf on the floor can make them spook and run off.
I have this in common with horses and I believe that my fight and flight is similar. One of my biggest negatives is my anxiety. A change on my desk at work, like somebody has changed the type of phone can create similar feelings to that spooky leaf.
I also believe that our horses recognise this in me as I also recognise it in them.
So in conclusion I think I feel that animals are just easier to deal with then people and if you spend time around them the rewards are so great.
For an Autistic I know my life is vastly improved by having the privilege of being around horses. I know this is true for other people on the Spectrum with their preferred animals be it dogs, cats or even more unusual creatures such as geckos.
Finally there is one thing that I cannot make sense of. Similar to most Autistics I do not like being touched (especially by strangers) but I can stand any animal touching me.
Like if a strange cat starts making a fuss around my ankles I am fine with that, but if a stranger put his hand on my shoulder I would flinch. I am not sure if I understand the reasons behind this.
The same can be said for eye contact. I struggle sometimes being able to look people in the eye and so as an experiment I have tried this with animals and it is much easier. I wonder if any other Autistics have experienced this. If so I would love to hear from you and if you have any ideas why this is so much easier. Thanks for reading.