I'm very sorry that I've been so quiet about this story, it could not be helped and I'm not sure when I can be active and help. I'm going to aim to do so this week. I have a LOT to say if you can imagine. Home and family issues have my hands tied up right now and I can't "today". I promise to try because as you know the subject of service ferrets is very close to my heart. Just a very brief summary for you. For new FML'ers, I am Sean and Rocky's mom, one of the ferret worlds most high profile cases regarding service ferrets. My autistic son, Sean, and his ferret, Rocky have been featured in three books, was considered for People's magazine, has been in several magazines in Japan, and has been on the cover of Modern Ferret years ago. We were also invited onto the Montel Williams show that was to feature various "miracle animal stories" one Christmas, however other current events came up that interested him more and that show was canceled. My son was moderately-severely autistic and nearly mute during his pre-school years. He was extremely violent and could not be trusted around babies and animals. Even goldfish and plants were not safe around my son. We had to sit in distant corners of pediatrician offices because once he was so out of control, he actually slapped a tiny baby on the face that was in a carrier at it's mothers feet sitting next to us. It was horrible. Eventually Sean did react very well to a large Golden Retriever, named Butch, who lived at his grandmothers house. But we could not own a dog ourselves due to my allergies. Besides, that was the only dog he bonded with anyway. Because of that, I at least had hope of once again enjoying the presence of pets in my home. I saw slight improvements in Sean after he met Butch. Our life was incredibly empty without the company of animals. I can't tell you how much so. It was already bad enough that we could not longer have music in the home, nor travel. I couldn't even move my furniture to break the suffocating monotony. I was stuck at home, 24/7, within a prison. For however difficult it was for us, it was more difficult for Sean who cried quite often and was overcome with anxiety and rage. Those were very, very dark years. I adore my son and autism is not always dark. It can also be a beautiful place. But, the walls around my son prevented me from the physical and emotional contact I wanted. My normal son was trapped in an abnormal life. My hubby and I have always been ferret people. Poor Scott, he worked day and night only to come home to chaos. We only had a few friends during that time, understandably, and family lived across the country (which was fine by me as they were some of the least supportive people 15 years ago). Scott's birthday was coming up. We lived in a poor neighborhood and one day a random bullet fired through my children's window 3 foot from Sean's head as it lay on the bed. I had enough. Life is too short. 80% of all fathers fled families of autistic children back then. My hubby stayed and GLADLY stayed without ever complaining. With pride and gratitude and guilt brimming over, I bought him a set of baby ferrets ... brothers. Prepared to build a cage around the cage, I came home to a shocking surprise. Sean was not only "okay", but reacted in the most positive ways to the little magical creatures. Things took off from there and if you like, you are free to read his story that is still online today. http://www.modernferret.com/mfm029/index.html They're website: http://www.wolfysluv.com/sean.html Sean "needed" Rocky around him to succeed. He struggled to just go to the local Kmart (one of his fav places). But, if Rocky was in his arms ... there were no tantrums and crying. He was also more verbal and outgoing. Most importantly, people were drawn to the tiny animal and approached Sean, giving him some limited social practice. So it began. Little Rocky went everywhere with Sean that he was allowed. Including school once a week. The other special needs children reacted so strongly, that I began taking my deaf ferrets there for regular visits along with Rocky. One of them especially enjoyed the contact there and reacted stunningly appropriately to children with various conditions. He climbed into the laps of the more withdrawn kids. He was quite and still around the kids with sensory issues. And so on. We had some amazing years while those ferrets were alive. I have saved many little stories I wrote about the children who stood out most over the years. Rocky is gone now. But I hope that his legacy lives on. I hope that the last chapter will NEVER be written. Of course it won't be for Sean. But I mean for others. It would be easy to think that these two had something spiritual and unique. But as Dr McNichols in Britain can attest ... it wasn't all that miraculous at all. She has utilized ferrets in therapy in England before. I also found a studies about ferrets used in therapy very successfully. One study demonstrated that autistic children reacted the least to humans, and the most to ferrets. Various animals were tested and the dog was actually the least positively reacted to of all the animals. Apparently there is too much sensory overload with them. Dogs are very needy, they are big, loud, they lick you, they jump on you, and they have a strong smell. They are hugely social and physical. Well .. like humans right? Anyway, I just thought of another thing. I read about a program in Europe or England where ferrets were regularly used in teaching blind children spatial skills. That was fascinating. Like I said, I saw some real promise there in many classrooms over the years with special needs children. I didn't just visit either. I learned from an specialists how to write and act out social stories with the ferrets to open up the children to proper self help skills, social skills, and so on. I know that some of what I taught did generalize over to the classroom. I don't know about home and outside the school. My "therapy" pets aged and have since died off. I don't visit places anymore. I have one fellow that would be a great therapy animal. But I guess I haven't the time anymore. And Sean is going through a phase where he isn't interested in "that world". It's a shame, because I've been told by specialists that he's an awesome role model to other autistics!! And his Pharos could really help. Maybe one day, ya know? Oh, this was a yes/no question that Sukie asked me wasn't it? Sorry. Had a Wolfy moment ... er hour. No, Sukie, I've never run into ferrets that have alerted anyone to seizuers, cardiac episodes, or the like. I've only noticed personally that my own ferrets definately know when someone is ill, even if just with a headache and they act very uncharacteristically. But that's all I've experienced personally. [Posted in FML 6048]