Modern Ferret Magazine - Press Releases

Modern Ferret
Contact: Mary Shefferman
P.O. Box 1007
Smithtown, NY 11787
Email: mary

modernferret.com
http://www.modernferret.com

Nine-year-old autistic boy shows vast improvement with the help of his beloved ferret.

Smithtown, NY-- At age two, Sean Stout, now nine years old, was diagnosed with high-functioning autism. High-functioning is the most common form of autism, with only one of every fifteen autistic children having the full spectrum disorder. As many as one in every 500 children in the US is effected by autism, varying in form and severity.

People with Sean's form of autism usually learn to function fairly well in society, but, especially for children, there are severe social and linguistic barriers that must be overcome.

Sean Stout was like other autistic children in that his social, language, and developmental skills were much less advanced than normal children at his age.

As detailed in issue 29 of Modern Ferret Magazine, Sean's parents, in an effort to help him develop the language and social skills he needed, started introducing small animals into their home. Beginning with fish, progressing to frogs, and eventually to ferrets was a slow process, but one that brought out signs of great improvement in Sean.

When Sean reached eight years old, he began to progress in leaps and bounds. All of his stereotypical autistic movements, such as rocking, finger flicking, etc. disappeared, and his language made remarkable progress. Sean did, however, remain somewhat rigid and obsessive in his thoughts and daily routines.

One day Sean's mother, Rebecca, decided to throw caution to the wind and bring home two young ferrets. Although Sean seemed disturbed initially, he didn't get upset or hurt the animals. Under his mother's constant supervision, Sean became fascinated by and very protective of the ferrets. Slowly, he grew accustomed to the sights, sounds, and smells the animals brought into his home. Sean's progress was so astounding that, a few months later, his parents decided to give Sean a ferret of his own.

Rocky and Sean bonded quickly and were soon inseparable. Since then, Sean's language, development, and social skills have seen dramatic improvement. He has learned to communicate his thoughts and feelings by relating them to his beloved pet. He has learned about the nourishment, care, and maintenance Rocky requires, and performs these chores responsibly. Sean has even joined a regular little-league baseball team.

Sean's prognosis is positive. As time goes on, he learns more and more about ferrets and takes on more responsibility. Rocky and Sean spend hours every day talking about anything and everything. "I fell upon a phenomenon or tool that I think can be of great value with our special needs children," says Rebecca.

Mary R. Shefferman, editor and co-founder of Modern Ferret Magazine says, "Ferrets are small, quiet, good-natured, and intelligent pets. These are the qualities that make Rocky a particularly good companion for Sean. In fact, many people are drawn to ferrets because of these qualities."

Modern Ferret has received several prestigious awards, and has been featured everywhere from CNN, to The New York Times, to NPR's All Things Considered. Mary Shefferman is the author of two books on ferrets: The Ferret: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet and The Wit and Wisdom of the Modern Ferrets. For more information about the magazine or Sean's story, contact Mary or Eric Shefferman.