Cats and human neurological disorders. Not the most similar of topics, but there are actually quite a few common traits in both cat behavior and people with ASD.
A big similarity is sensory issues. Sound is an obvious one. People with ASD often have a heightened sensitivity to sound. This can make very loud places, such as parties or assemblies, hard to be in. Sudden loud noises can also be very distressing, causing larger reactions than the average amount. For example, sobbing your eyes out at a pep rally because its too loud, and then having to be walked out of the gym… Cats with their naturally enhanced hearing, also have these same issues. We’ve all seen the videos of cats making a dash for it when the vacuum comes out.
The same goes for other senses. There’s sensitivity to touch, both when it comes to physical contact with another being, or with something like clothes. Cats also have a much stronger sense of smell, again, another part of sensory issues, being a distraction or causing headaches. Picky eating is a big issue in ASD. People will often refuse to try new foods, and when eventually done, it hard to find something that they actually like, due to it both being a problem of taste, as well as texture. I personally struggle with picky eating quite a lot. It was too the point where I would never eat at school because I wouldn’t eat the cafeteria food. The mentality of “she’ll eat it once she’s hungry enough” wouldn’t work on me either, as no matter what, I’d refuse to eat, then go outside and run around at recess until I passed out. Punishment didn’t work either, and having to sit out at play time still wouldn’t get me to eat. I now have a lunch box which has the same meal for me to eat everyday.
Routine is another big one. Cats love routine and expect it. Getting out of bed at the same time, being fed at the same time, humans leaving and coming back at the same time. Consistency is key with cats. My cat Oreo is my alarm clock at this point. This craving for consistency is also seen in changes in environment. Most cats grow distressed or cautious with events like moving houses, rearranging furniture, new objects or common objects being removed, new house residents, and so on. ASD comes with very similar feeling towards these situations. A simple change in plans could completely throw off the day for some, and simple switches in location and appearance might need quite a bit of self preparation to come to terms with, and still be uncomfortable in the end.
Repetitive behaviors! A main symptom of ASD is constant repetitive behaviors, for example, stimming. Everyone stims. For example, tapping your pencil on a desk, bouncing your leg, mindlessly fidgeting with a lose string, all self stimulating behaviors. The main difference with stimming in ASD is that its much more apparent, and much more constant. Hand flapping, repeating the same sound/word/phrase extensively (echolalia), rocking, chewing, and more, while not exclusive to ASD or other neurological disorders, are more apparent and common with those with it. Stimming can become much stronger in certain situations, usually ones with lots of emotions. For example, one could flap their hands to show extreme excitement or joy one time, then do the same action another when in a stressful situation. Hmm, that sounds rather familiar. Cats have a similar trait when it comes to purring! While not exactly the same, cats purr to show their comfort and joy, but also purr when hurt or scared to comfort themselves.
These are just some very basic and very general examples for only three common traits and while I do have a couple of more I could talk about, I hope I got my point across with just these for now. Others can be explored once I get a more fleshed out story and pinpoint exactly which traits I’d like to talk about. Like I said, these are very basic and very general, and every person with ASD, as well as every cat, is their own individual. When you've met/seen one, you've met/seen only one. So what's my point with these comparisons? For a very basic plot, I would like to center my short film around a girl with ASD, who finds more comfort and relation with her cats rather than other humans. I want to showcase her internal conflict with herself on why she cant just be “normal” to spread awareness on the topic.
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