Supporting a foster child who communicates as or acts like an animal 

I was one of these kids. Fortunately I wasn't in a terribly abusive home, but was very anxious. I expressly remember being four and acting like a dog and my logic being "everyone likes animals so if I'm an animal everyone will like me and no one will be mad at me or yell at me"

As an autistic person I really appreciate this!! As a kid, I learned that asking people to stop touching me, saying I was overstimulated, or trying to explain I hated certain textures or sounds would rarely work. The surprise and aggression of hissing or biting at them? Always worked. You're so right about making sure needs are met- once I moved to a house where I knew 'Human me' asking for things would be met with the same care as when 'cat me' asked, little by little I stopped hissing, scratching, biting. Thanks for spreading awareness on this. Nothing wrong with these kinds of kids, it indicates trauma or a need unmet :)

I did this constantly as a child. Was diagnosed with DID last year. Everything you said can be applicable to non-systems, but some of what you outline here is helping to set up internal communication between alters (asking Sophia questions about Kitty Cat Cat, setting the grocery boundary), which is SO important for trauma work. Thank you for validating this.

As someone with autism who has a hard time with words when anxious and often defaults to hissing and/or growling because it’s easier and it gets people to listen, this is very very comforting. I wish more people understood like this. I never felt like I fit in or understood people, so I decided that that meant I wasn’t a human (because five year old me didn’t have any other idea of why I would be different). And it just stuck. Animal mannerisms were one of my coping mechanisms throughout childhood. Insomnia? Build a den/nest to sleep in. Words not working and people ignoring you? Hiss or growl. Content or need to self sooth? Purr. Sensory issues? Bite things. Chew things. Go in nature. Hide away. Burrow in the snow. Flex your hands like you have claws. Mimic animal calls.

Thank you for this! People are surprised by it, but as a therapist I've seen some kids and also adults who have alters who are animals or act like animals themselves or have the souls of animals. Whether it's because they're regressed or highly defensive or anything else, it's deeply important. And there's often really wonderful (especially in adults who've had time to build up a spirituality or think through how this happened) ways that they communicate about acting this way; I always am full of validation and believing them that they are that animal because that's what's needed! I also often will suggest seeing what ways their animal will calm down. Cats often retreat to a quiet/high spot when overstimulated while tigers will do a little play-fight (good way to teach boundaries and social cues is the emphasis on the PLAY of play-fighting and how to tell the difference) and dogs will seek out other dogs to tuck away with. Doing research with them on it can be a good bonding moment that lets them know that you value every aspect of them, and it also opens up conversation about coping in general. You also might see that your kitty will only have dairy "because that's what cats do" or your brontosaurus wants to eat people's faces; I have a client who's very focused on being a literal lone wolf and that she is an alpha so she can do whatever she wants. Now we know that cats eat more than dairy and brontosauruses were plant eaters and that the idea of "alpha" and "lone wolf" were based on shaky research of captured wolves from different packs all mixed together, and it can be very tempting to correct them. But our role isn't to pull one over on them or have a "well that's not true so you have to stop because I proved you wrong" moment, which I've seen be very tempting and acted on by parents or other professionals when they don't know what else to do or subconsciously are trying to take comfort in what they know how to deal with. Let them be wrong because the important part is what THEY attach to animals, and you can bring them around to other behaviors without throwing facts in their face and making them feel unheard.

As an adult working through childhood trauma, just like hearing your caring, reassuring voice is so soothing and comforting. It makes me happy but also makes me sad that I can experience something from a stranger on the internet that I was never able to get from my own parents.

I love the way you handled this

We're so grateful that you understand DID and trauma. More people should understand this and believe it.

I’m 15, and I used to do this a lot. When I was feeling upset, I’d ball up my fists and itch my face like an animal. Sometimes I hissed when angry. When I was at home and needed comfort (most of the time from stressors inside the house) I’d make a “nest” and curl up. My parents didn’t like that my bed was often a mess from this. Nowadays that “animal” comes out in a different way. Rats are my biggest comfort, so when I’m in a stressful situation (being yelled at, extreme overstimulation, etc) I will squeak softly. It’s become the only noise I can make while nonverbal. On the other end of the spectrum, when I’m at my most comfortable, I’ll feel like a rat stretched out and sunbathing. For me, rats have come to represent the spectrum of emotions, and are the best way to cope. I keep a stuffed rat in my pocket wherever I go now.

I'm a survivor with a huge DID system that has a lot of animal members and I think I just stopped breathing for a long moment when I read that you included DID in the possible diagnosis list for a child acting as an animal consistently! (I'm also autistic and use animal sounds myself to communicate when I go nonverbal.) This is huge - I'm not sure you know how incredibly much this means to a survivor like me! I'm one of the kids nobody ever came to rescue, who had to keep themselves alive for long enough to become able to rescue themselves and I only managed to break free after I came of age. My childhood would have been worlds apart from what I survived with someone like you around! Thanks for all you do!!! ❤

As someone who used to do this due to severe lack of verbal communication skills, this is wonderful advice and attitude ❤

As a kid who did this (hissing at strangers in stressful situations and everything) it's really nice to see it addressed like this

Thank you! I was put into foster care at 11 months old due to neglect and abuse. When I started talking I almost exclusively barked for several months. I didn't realize until now how normal it was for a child that has experienced trauma. I was also a child that went undiagnosed for a long time with sensory processing disorder, anxiety, ADHD, OCD and dyslexia. To this day I can tell you I still often prefer the company of dogs to people. People often consider me an animal whisperer. And it thinks it's just because me and dogs have special unspoken language.

All of your videos make me wanna cry tbf- but this one hits ESPECIALLY hard. It's probably the autism, but i acted like a cat very often back in elementary school. Seeing you be so accepting of it broke me, how tf you can have such a strong effect on me i will never know 😭❤️

I've been thinking about becoming a foster parent for a while. Today I signed up for the required class. I had a crazy childhood and want to give back. Thank you for doing these; it helps.

God bless you. It is powerful to meet kids where they are at and intentionally and gently and gradually help them cope better with stress and trauma.

Laura, you seem like such a beautiful person. I imagine you have helped a lot of troubled kids find or start healing. :)

I had a childhood friend who often liked to act like a cat. I think she was probably autistic, looking back at other habits and needs she had, but at the time, it was just like "oh J is meowing again, guess I'm not playing with that toy" haha. I didn't really judge her for it, but I do remember. Her family moved in 1999, I wonder how things are for her now...

I think the real you is not human but a good fairy or some kind of angel… you are amazing and just noticing there are people like you out there is really giving me energy rn

I grew up being sa’ed and had lots of trauma. I used to act like an animal 24/7 never knew that it could be a trauma thing 😢

I wish I knew this when my step- daughter was younger. I'm in tears. I didn't know she was trying to communicate her needs. Omigoodness. I could have supported her so much better had I known this. We all do our best. I never stopped her, but I thought she was just hardcore pretending or the musty fabulous actress. 😢

Thank you for being so compassioned ♡ I'm gonna be watching your videos a lot when I feel like I'm ready to start fostering :)

Lovely that you deal with it so well! It's also showing respect for the kid's self expression, (nick)name, and ways they want to communicate & navigate the world right now. It tends to work well to just take it at face value that Kittycatcat is currently who you take care of. As a child, i was a dog so often. I needed some health related daily treatment, and my mom encompassed my dog persona into it by turning it into a vet visit and giving me scritches and praising what a good dog i was. I think it made the treatment easier for both of us!

I’ve never been through foster parents or anything like that but i enjoy watching these videos to find out what other people go through

my little sibling often communicates like a cat, thanks for spreading awareness! your video really helped me understand why is that the case and how can i support them too.

Im not a mother or foster parent, but I love the way you foster my inner child (read: cat). Thank you for the way you communicate and share it with the world 💗

Personally, in my work with kids aged 1-6 (not fostered, no signs for trauma), it's very common to me that they have an inner animal that they like to act as, sometimes as play, sometimes when verbal communication overwhelms them. So i'd like to stress that it's not a problem *in itself* and doesn't point to trauma if it is the only sign. But it's very good to keep in mind that if there's any other indications for trauma, the animal persona can be encompassed in that.

Gosh I wish there was someone like you around when I was growing up. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you for taking the child's comfort and feelings into consideration.

God bless you & Sophia 🐱 Thank you so much for your beautiful compassion ❤ This was a heartfelt video 🙏

Some people have animal/non human alters and sometimes kids just need an easy way to communicate

In my childhood my cousin pretended to be a dog when she was really little. This was in the 80s. We humored her and did not let on that she was human.

I had a cousin who used to do this. She wasn't in the system, but she grew up being socially stunted. Her parents were good parents, but both had mental issues. My uncle had hypoxia and as a result didn't have common sense or the emotional development past a childhood or teenage age. His wife was very similar, but I'm not sure why. Both of their kids are stunted in these ways, but also his wife had 2 other kids with a previous marriage and one is in prison for over 300 years for a gas station robbery and murder, and the other has some mental issues. Interesting how it can be trauma related or from a lack of mental development in certain areas.

I did something similar growing up because of having to mask my asp. Syndrome behaviors. I developed this whole other person I would be in public. I had difficulty with social situations but she didn't. I gave her a name but I never told anyone. I just new to let the "normal" me take over when I wasn't alone. I was a kid on the spectrum being raised by two narcissist one who used Jesus as a weapon and one who used alcohol as a coping mechanism. I think one day I actively decided that since who i am is so inappropriate and embarrassing that I must become someone else in the presence of others. The doctor didn't call it did she called it masking. Apparently it's a common thing among high functioning people on the spectrum.

Long story, tldr: Laura your videos are amazing, and I'm glad my parents never ended up taking in foter kids. When I was little my parents wanted to become foster parents, so they went to all the classes and stuff. My sister and I were pretty young (between 9-13 I think, my sis is 1.5 yrs older than me) and we waited around in the waiting room eating snacks and doing whatever to pass the time (kinda irrelevant but those are my memories of those times). My sister and I were homeschooled by mom and had been for a few years bc mom was very conservative and didn't like how we were treated and influenced in public school (a bs excuse in hindsight now that I'm an adult). Laura, watching your videos makes me glad my parents never took in foster kids because they fucked my sister and I up well enough, without the additional trauma of being in the system. Your videos give me hope for the future, and I internalize what you're teaching for my sister's future kids (and maybe my future kids if that ever happens) so we can break these generational curses and be a positive force in children's lives. Thank you Laura, for doing what you do 💕

Sheesh this was a throwback, not because I did this but a kid in the same class as me in primary school did. It would have been nice if teachers had given us tips on how to interact with him, because we were mostly confused and dismissive of him. Looking back, now I know he was trying to reach out... damn that scks, I hope he's doing well now.

As somoene who is a furry I have definitely coped with stressor in life, especially as a child, by acting like an animal. It brings me so much joy and really helps me escape from rough times whenever I put on my fursuit and I get to be a dog for a bit c:

Back in my darkest days i used to hiss and grawl like a tiger, it was the absolute last defense line

me watching this rembering how i use to act like a cat if i felt like i was in danger or upset or wanted to feel comfortable and safe when i was little: so was this a trauma response or an adhd/autism thing??

YES! WE NEED MORE OF YOUS!

you are such an amazing human!!!

Tw This is so opposite to how one tik toker described her "methods" for dealing with this sort of behavior. It was mostly ridicule and threataining to "treat them like a real cat." 😨 Of course, it was a reactionary tik tok from around the time when there were rumors about litterboxes for students.

My sister acted like a cat, and I always tried discouraging her. I'm starting to see that maybe that was the wrong move.

I didn't have trauma, I just wanted to be a cat! Still sounds like a good life even though I'm not 6 anymore, though.

dissociative disorder haver. this is a common early indicator of trauma getting all up in their chemistry. the earlier you can inform mental health professionals and integrate treatment, the better. it takes years of help to learn how to function when your identity is fragmented like this. whether it’s any kind of fragmentation or persona, tell people. it’s really hard to be a child already, and being a child who has a conveyer belt of parts that are all needed to communicate different things at different times is exhausting, confusing, alienating. your video isn’t all that niche, and i hope this gets other people having the conversation about the very different and polarizing ways that a child’s brain copes with trauma. sometimes you’re just too little to help yourself, and you need a kitty, or an older brother, or whatever to take over. it’s all just too much.

I'm an adult with Asburgers and I struggle being a female with PTSD. I've learned to mask my cat like nature but on occasion I still hiss when I can verbalize my upset. But I've learned to repress it mask my animal "shifts" Sometimes lately I've been losing the ability to speak? I don't know if anyone has input. Did not know this was an autism trait.

im autistic and as a kid i really liked cats, sometimes i would meow if someone talked to me and i didnt know how to respond or asked me a question that i didn’t know how to answer (putting thoughts into words is hard for me). I would sometimes hiss at people who were upsetting me. I didn’t know how else to express myself. because of my autism i am not like most other people and sometimes this leads to a feeling of not being a human at all

My daughter acted like a cat as a child. She was diagnosed with Asperger's a few years later.

Sometimes you just gotta be a kitty cat 😺

This reminds me of even adults who engage in 'pet play' as if they are trying to sooth some deep dark thing inside them

😻

I hissed all the time as a kid if someone was doing something I didn’t like or wanted to stop thanks for being so understanding your an angel walking

Bless your soul!! I grew up in a violent, abusive home and one of my coping techniques was to act like a dog. I would even bark at people when they came over. Of course, this was met with my parents shaming, poking fun at me, telling me how embarrassed I was making them, and for many years (until I finally cut all contact) it was the family joke. I held a deep shame and self-hatred from this, even though I remember how happy it made me to be a dog. After watching this, I realize my behaviour was normal, given the circumstances and I do not have to carry those negative feelings towards myself anymore.

I'm diagnosed w DID. I was told I acted like a cat for about a year straight when I was very young, after a traumatic period. Wouldn't respond to my own name. I'm astonished that DID was included in your list of potential underlying needs. I'm just shocked. Thank you for supporting these kids through ALL their struggles, not just the common ones.

The message I see over and over on this channel is to accept children where they are at, with love and compassion, not judgment. Honestly, it's not just good advice for foster parents, I think it's good advice for everyone.

You're so compassionate and I love watching your shorts (even tho I'm not even close to fostering children) because it's a very comforting feeling to know that you're taking care of those kiddos so well

I worked with a young teenager who gave each of her emotions their own persona or "character." People made fun of her and thought she might have DID, but honestly, she'd seen Thomas Sanders' "Sanders Sides" and "Inside Out" and utilized the concepts to help her cope. She knew she didn't actually have separate personalities, and didn't claim to. I thought is was a creative way to deal with her overwhelming emotions. They were too much all at once for her, so she separated them into distinctive characters. I worked a long time with her to make each one less scary, until they could all co-exist peacefully as something she had control over, instead of characters to fight with and accommodate

I (47) suffer from PTSD from my childhood. I like your shorts because you talk so gentle and full of love and give security. I even use it as a coping-mechansim to calm my "inner child" ❤

really good info here! also i love in the last frame you said “underlying needs” instead of “underlying problems” :,) neurodivergent kids & adults are not problems and often just need different care, not difficult care. thanks for the vid!!!

As someone who acted like a cat for part of my childhood, I didn't realize it could be been connected to my traumatic experiences. This is kinda eye-opening for me.

I'm now 25 and I was fostered at age 9 with my little brother and when ever my foster mom tried to speak anything that I didn't feel comfortable about talking I started to hiss like a cat or crowl like a tiger. But those conversations have now turned into special therapy sessions for me and I'm very grateful being fostered in my current family and my foster mom is now the number one person I love in the whole world.

I literally am crying. This is so tender. I wish adults in my life met me where I was instead of punishing me for not meeting them where they wanted me to be. Thank you for making these. Anyone who is moving forward using these videos and replicating this kind of care, thank you, keep up the good work, the people you support and care for and interact will appreciate this, and be better off for you having been in their life in this way.

This brought up a couple of memories for me. After I had my second child, my three year old would often act out the scenario of being baby kitty. Baby Kitty’s house burned down and was now over with me, wondering if she could come live with me. And of course, I always said, ‘Oh yes, of course Baby Kitty can come live with me.’

This video struck a cord in me. I have CPTSD and I had a horrific childhood. My favourite thing to do was play in the school yard as a dog in the wild. I even played in the winter and I would burrow into the snow for warmth. I never did it around my family because that would've not gone well, but I also took great comfort in it. Thank you for addressing DID. Systems are so complex and bringing more awareness to it is important exposure. It's purely their brain working to protect them and sometimes this comes out in the form of alters. If you didn't know, an alter can be anything. It can be a cat, a person, a ghost, a demon, etc. And they all have a specific role in the system and SOMETIMES they're not good. But these people are not "crazy". They're deeply traumatized and their personality is shattered like broken glass. It may take many years to mend it and they may never fully heal. They deserve to be seen, validated, and loved. I love your work. Your videos calm me ❤

My two older kids both have a "baby persona" that like to be snuggled in blankets, talks with baby perceptions and simple language, gets afraid and upset and cries for help, and is very energetic and bouncy and playful LOL One game we like to play is "protect the baby" where one child is a monster and I shelter, defend, and save the child acting as the baby. They love it and ask for it. We switch up the roles constantly.

It’s a little embarrassing but I still do this… sometimes it’s easier to not use words. But it can be upsetting and frustrating when people don’t understand or get frustrated and angry when really you’re just scared and don’t know how else to reach out. Thank you for your compassion, I wish I had people support me in any way other than telling me to get my act together

I dealt with a lot of trauma from my mom. When my dad got custody of me, I acted like a dog. I growled, barked, and even one time I bit my dad. I was diagnosed with autism. I got the help I needed. We need more people who are as loving, caring, and patient like you. My dad was and still is one of those great people. You’re an amazing person. Thank you for helping the less understood children. We appreciate it ❤

Aww, so glad you showed this. My daughter always pretended to be a puppy when she was little. Now at age 10, she will still say “woof” when words fail. Especially if we give her a compliment like telling her how great her drawings are, she’ll just answer “woof”.

I'm severely autistic, I've acted like a cat at times for most of my life and I feel very deeply connected with them. I used to think I was otherkin or a furry, I never realized it could be a trauma thing but that would actually explain a lot (I witnessed my favorite cat being brutally murdered at the age of roughly 8 and I've never gotten over it, I'm 19 now). Thank you for being so genuinely compassionate with kids, knowing that there are people like my parents and you out there who are willing to put up with this sort of thing brings me so much joy and hope and hearing your words to Sofia's kitty in this video was extremely soothing

I once had a student who would sit under his desk and bark like a dog. The school had been taken over by a new school trust and the old one let many students down and I was new to the school so had never worked with the old company. I had a room for children who weren’t coping in the main school and this child was so traumatised (had autism, adhd and dyspraxia) from how let down hed been in the old school, he couldn’t cope and being dog was his coping strategy. By the end of the year i had his reading age (he was 13) up from 7 years to 14.5 years and found out he had a massive special interest in the solar system. Old school staff had apparently laughed at him in front of him and written him off, the end of year 11 he left with 6 GCSE’s grade’s D and C! So many people don’t understand why a child resorts to being an animal and ridicules them instead of helping- thank you for raising awareness

Bruh imagine being in an environment where instead of shame and judgement you're met with kindness and understanding and compassion towards the things you yourself don't understand yet. Incredible. I'm so glad you're a foster parent. I hope there are more like you in the future and I think your videos absolutely help with that. ❤️❤️

Honestly sometimes it's easier to be an animal than human. Humans have so many complex social rules and social cues you HAVE to know. Animals, especially cats! Seem so much easier! Especially when you are young. If you're trying to show you're angry or scared, you can just hiss! If you're happy, you can purr! Honestly i'm almost 30 and I still find it easier. Anyone who knows me knows I thump my foot rapidly like a dog wagging its tail when I'm happy (interestingly I do it slower if I'm annoyed or thoughtful sometimes too, more similar to a cat). I still sometimes give into temptation to hiss or growl when I'm upset (it's cathartic!). I slowblink at people I love too! I'm autistic.

this is the first video of yours to hit so hard to home. im not a foster child but i used to act like this alot as a child and was bullied for it, even by my own family, and they still bring it up to shame me about it to this day, i wish i had someone like you there

As an autistic DID system, I watch some of your videos like a form of reparenting. This one was particularly comforting ❤

DID system here, i love how you mentioned the DID in the end! we do have autism and had big cats as a special interest so we have a panther alter! we all love your videos and your kind, compassionate and informed approach! thank you so much for putting yourself out there!

I was raised in an abusive household and use animal regression as a form of coping. Ive tried to tell my mom that this is WHY I like to “act like a dog”, but it doesn’t really make sense to her and she thinks its just some fetish. I wish people tried to understand more

I know of a young child who would act as a dog at times. Sometimes, it seemed just fun. Other times, it was a sign of distress. I was only a young teen myself at the time, but I remember it being mentioned as one of the signs she gave that she should not be asked to testify. I vaguely remember other times when we tried to either be supportive and engage in the play or to encourage her to, say, eat at the table as a human. It can at times be hard for the adult (or teenage babysitter) to remain patient, and I’m not sure how many of the adults understood the significance of the dog play. Years later, she still loves and gets comfort from dogs and has one of her own. ❤

This is so nice, i keep seeing people lose their minds over children acting like animals and it makes me so sad that these people are so..well stupid about it. I love your approach.

I was home, alone, with my cat for years since I was 4. I thought he was my brother, so I thought I was at least part cat. Trauma makes us do weird stuff!! Thank you for being such an amazing person.

Extremely appreciative that you included the note about DID, PTSD and autism as an autistic person with DID! The way you were talking about kitty cat cat was very familiar to my DID and I was surprised and impressed that you raised these conditions as possibilities. Love your method of validating the child and meeting them where they are.

I’ve got Autism and while I’ve never really been in a bad home, acting like a dog has always been a comfort to me. When I was in fifth grade I started “a dog pack” and it was just my best friends and me playing every day, I had acted like a dog before but I think that kind cemented the comfort of it into me, cause I was happy and the only thing I had to worry about was chasing the imaginary caribou every couple days. It feels safer sometimes to hide and be protected by a child like memory/action. And so I do

This also happens with ADHD. My daughter was diagnosed with moderate adhd hyperactive and innatentive and I got soooooo many phone calls home about my daughter hissing at other students and crawling through the halls and when the teachers would tell her to stand up and walk she would just meow back at them and eventually start ignoring them and licking her "paw" 😅 I'm so glad she's grown out of that its amusing to look back on now but it was so challenging to deal with

I was raised by both parents. My own son just turned 18. I have nothing to do with the foster care system. But these videos absolutely melt my heart. Its nice to know that there are people that are willing to take the time to really understand a child that isn't even biologically theirs. It makes me sad that there's a need for foster parents but I'm glad to know people like you are out there helping kids.

To know that there are people out there like you who will do this for child/a system and for those who have struggled with PTSD gives me hope for this world and for the children and systems who have suffered

If we had someone notice our cat alters like this as a child, maybe our DID wouldn't have gone so unnoticed and we could've gotten help. Thank you for making sure to observe for signs of this.

As an autistic adult with D.I.D., I thank you for taking your time with situations like this and being kind and understanding.

as someone with DID and does have "animal alters", thank you so much for this and recognizing the disorder. that means alot to me and so many others im sure :D

It always feels so comforting and validating to watch your videos. I'm so grateful people like you exist in this world. I have so much respect and appreciation for the incredibly important work that you're doing. Thank you for showing up when others can't be there. 🙏🏼

Speech therapist here, I love how you honor the communicative intent!

Thank you for mentioning DID. We tried to hard to communicate to adults that we felt “half cat” or say things like “I don’t feel like the Same person I was when we walked into the store” and it was ignored. So many of our members were shamed or outright denied. Having a parental figure when the host was younger to help us would have meant the world. I do have a question, have you ever fostered a system and if yes, how did you handle that? I imagine it would be difficult communicating with an adult member in a child’s body

Love it!! You’re spot on, a child acting as an animal is simply a protection. It’s a barrier between them and everything else, and showing the care and compassion they crave the only right way to handle it!

I was the "Weird dog guy" in primary school. I would growl, bark, scratch, sometimes bite if I felt particularly threatened. I was HORRIFICALLY bullied for it. Turns out it was autism and CPTSD (I might even have a dissociative disorder). Little me could've used some of this kindness.

Wouldn't the world be a nicer place if we just met everyone where they are? Of course it's particularly true for children but it applies to adults too

This makes me feel a bit better about laying and sitting like a wolf when I was in an abusive relationship. I also would wine and wished I could transform into a wolf as well. Explains alot, and maybe I can stop cringing at it and instead realize it was a weird coping strategy of an autistic teen/young adult. I stopped doing it sometime after the relationship ended. Makes me feel sad young kids resort to that as well. Thank you for being understanding to those kids.

i was a cat when i was a kid. at 18 yrs old I got the autism diagnosis. it's nowhere as niche as a lot of people would think.

AuDHD here and I was the butt of my cousin's jokes for many years for impersonating a film character at age 5, (very common in Autism) who was Pongo the dalmatian. Right up to my early adulthood they would call me Pongo and laugh about it. Meanwhile my Nana let me run round her house with a bunch of string tied to a belt pretending I was a pony one summer when I was about 8. I loved going to hers because as long as I was safe and was generally respectful, any and all behaviour was tolerated without comment/judgement/restriction

I don't have DID, but I am autistic and when I was very young I had issues expressing my frustration with a lot of things so I acted out and a lot of the time I pretended to be a cat. Other kids made fun of me and I kinda got a reputation but honestly making cat noises is still a good coping mechanism for me, especially softly at work or around my real cats

As someone with absolutely no connections to the foster system, I have been watching your videos and am genuinely touched by the degree of empathy and kindness you show. It means so much that you are considering and including people who have these complex and special needs, including ones I would not have even thought of like communicating as or acting like an animal. Thank you so much for putting these out there as a resource for others

Thank you so much for this video. A few years ago , I volunteered at domestic violence shelter and came across this behaviour and didn't know how to handle it . This is the first video that shows how to handle it . I love how you show examples of situations and how to handle situations in such calm and compassionate situation

I love your videos! So many things you address also happen with “typical” kids or would be good ways for “typical” parents to handle a situation. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and for demonstrating what you are sharing. ❤️🙏💪

As if i didn't lover her enough already! Just her videos are over here curing all our childhood trauma. I actually didn't tie any negative feelings to pretending to be a cat as a kid, it was just fun for me and it was a shame no adults would ever play along. Actually, when I was a toddler my grandma would play fetch with my while I ran around on my hands and knees like a dog, and its honestly one of my favorite memories, since at that time it was out of pure innocence. I know that unfortunately for some kids in the system it isn't. :/