For most of America, the black cat is a symbol of bad luck and ill-fortune to come- however, 22-year-old Jordan is not most of America. Jordan is on the autism spectrum, and has severe issues communicating. This has led her to feel like an outcast and rejected by her peers, that is, until she is teamed up with a black cat to ease her social anxiety.
Mychal’s Learning Place is a nonprofit organization committed to helping adults and children with developmental disorders build self-esteem, form meaningful relationships, and face challenges and opportunities that help us grow as people. Mychal's Learning Place has recently teamed up with Adopt and Shop, a nonprofit animal rescue center and pet-friendly retail store that is never lacking in furry friends that need to be mentally stimulated through play.
Teachers at Mychal's Learning Place say they were partly inspired to work with Adopt and Shop thanks to Jordan's special bond with black cats. "We first discovered her love for cats when she began to draw pictures of black kittens," said Alicia Galindo, director of Mychal's Learning Place. Jordan called all the kittens she drew "Gracie" after a black cat she had growing up who had died when she was a small child.
Jordan is one of Mychal's first students testing out the pilot collaborative program with Adopt and Shop, and directors have found it to be immediately beneficial. Normally, Jordan does not speak; she usually repeats the last thing someone said to her. However, when she is charged with taking care of the kittens, Galindo stated that Jordan seemed to "have a sense of purpose." Directors attribute this development to an easing of Jordan's social anxiety around her favorite kittens, and she has even started to speak independently with her own words and phrases.
Evidence that pets can have positive effects on the autistic community has been well documented. A 2015 study conducted by the College of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue University found that petting small animals could ease social anxiety in those on the autism spectrum. Researchers found that petting a guinea pig helped the children come out of their shell and socialize more than the control group. Additionally, a meta-analysis performed by the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine looked at families with children on the autism spectrum, and found that children who grew up in the company of dogs were more outgoing than their pet-less peers.
Because many on the autism spectrum are startled or upset by loud noises and fast, jerky movements, the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine's official recommendation for pets for those on the autism spectrum was cats and kittens.
We're sure Jordan agrees.
