Animal Therapy for Autism, ADHD and Anxiety

Үй жануарлары мен аңдар

In this episode, we discuss the benefits of animal therapy, especially with snakes for individuals with autism, ADHD, and anxiety disorders. Shira Loa of Snake Therapy discusses her journey with snakes - from her initial fear of snakes, her first snake purchase, to her work in snake education and husbandry advancement. She shares details of how her first interaction with a snake led her to a journey with her own snakes, as well as beginning interactions with other people in order form a connection with them and snakes. Her passion for the therapeutic benefits that reptiles can bring to their keepers shows as she discusses the various mental health benefits that have been seen in both neurodivergent and non-neurodivergent individuals. Shira also discusses the Neurodiversity and Reptile Keeping Survey that she created in hopes of understanding more about what reptile keeping can offer neurodivergent people, leading to talk about the potential for overconsumption of reptiles and traits that neurodivergent people have for keeping reptiles more efficiently.
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LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:
Survey: bit.ly/SnakeTherapySurvey
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shiraloametalwork.com/pages/s...
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Video Clips and Photos Used in Episode:
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0:00 Coming Up
1:44 Welcome Shira - Her History With Snakes
5:05 Purchasing Her First Snake
8:59 From Fear to Fascination - How did it happen?
11:35 Shira’s Home for Snakes - 9 Total!
13:50 The Start of Snake Therapy
18:45 Interactions With Animals Is Therapeutic
21:25 Shira’s Work With The Little Zoo Non-Profit
23:20 Helping People Connect With Snakes
25:55 The Therapeutic Benefits That Snakes Can Give
28:32 Caring For Animals Helps With Mental Health
30:24 The Response From Social Media
32:35 The Bio Dude - Substrates and Diets
33:37 Neurodivergence & Reptiles
45:42 Neurodiversity and Reptile Keeping Survey
57:24 Reptiles Don’t Have To Just Be For “Reptile People”
59:43 Overconsumption of Reptiles
1:04:47 Neurodivergent Keepers Can Make Better Keepers?
1:07:18 The Content’s Purpose and Reach
1:11:13 Animal Welfare and Our Connections
1:14:05 Shira’s Next Projects
1:17:25 Shira Loa Metal Work
1:19:03 Closing Thoughts
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ABOUT DILLON:
Welcome to my channel, Animals at Home! Here you will find the reptile videos I have made as well as video versions of The Animals at Home Podcast! The podcast mainly focuses on the pet reptile industry. My mission with Animals at Home is simple: To inspire others to push the limits of their reptile husbandry by promoting the importance of high-level, creative husbandry individualized for each reptile.
• Crested Geckos in the ...

Пікірлер: 79

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast
    @AnimalsatHomePodcastАй бұрын

    🦎🐍🐸 *For more info on The BioDude's amazing product line, please visit:* www.thebiodude.com/ or www.youtube.com/@TheBioDudeJoshHalter

  • @6strings735
    @6strings735Ай бұрын

    She said in context - "Neurodivergent people often make the best keepers.." Amen to that. Thank you Shira for your insights, and thank you AAH for featuring her.

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    That enjoyed it, thank you so much for watching!

  • @Snake_Therapy

    @Snake_Therapy

    Ай бұрын

    😊❤️

  • @SeagraveSerpentarium
    @SeagraveSerpentariumАй бұрын

    As someone who is hoping to do in-person snake education and experiences some day, Shira's channel has been an amazing resource for helping me think about ways I can use my background in biology to help people just like me (I'm autistic and have ADHD) in addition to my primary goal of spreading knowledge and love for snakes while dispelling harmful misconceptions. It's an excellent concept that should absolutely be explored further. On a tangentially related note, FREE DARIUS MCCOLLUM! LET HIM DRIVE THE TRAINS!

  • @kismitj
    @kismitjАй бұрын

    constantly learning how to continually upgrade care is one way i keep the dopamine rolling without feeling the need to add new animals to the menagerie. deciding my limits based on "if i have a severe flare up of a chronic condition, how much am i paying someone else to step in" helped me make a clear headed decision of Hard limits. and on bad days, i remind myself-i can't give up today, i promised my kids they wouldn't have to worry about inheriting the spiders.

  • @6strings735

    @6strings735

    Ай бұрын

    Lol ".. i promised my kids they wouldn't have to worry about inheriting the spiders." I know you meant that seriously, but that is a great way to look at it with a little humor to it. I agree wholeheartedly with your logic.

  • @Snake_Therapy

    @Snake_Therapy

    Ай бұрын

    @kismitj I love so much about this comment 😂🥰

  • @StephanieRenaeReptiles
    @StephanieRenaeReptilesАй бұрын

    As a member of the community that is autistic and ADHD is greatly appreciate this video❤ my animals have been so therapeutic for me. I’ll have to check out her channel!!

  • @StephanieRenaeReptiles

    @StephanieRenaeReptiles

    Ай бұрын

    I recently changed jobs and no longer work from home. I’m reworking my systems to ensure I can care for them the way they need to and have also drawn a line in the sand for myself as well. It can catch up to you quick if you aren’t careful.

  • @StarlitesExotics
    @StarlitesExoticsАй бұрын

    I tell people all the time that my ball python is my emotional support snake, and by gollie is she great as such. Whenever I have a bad day, I just take her out when not going into shed or digesting a meal and will have her sit on my shoulders. Instantly calmed down after the fact. And she hit the nail on the head about how reptiles, snakes in particular, have such a unique calming effect on those with neurodivergencies and those who need help with their mental health. It's amazing what reptiles do for people

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    Yeah, it’s fascinating! Glad you enjoyed the episode, thank you for listening!

  • @Snake_Therapy

    @Snake_Therapy

    Ай бұрын

    I love this! ❤️

  • @Gaspingindeath
    @GaspingindeathАй бұрын

    I relate so much to Shira's experiences. I've been following her for about 7 months and I find her content fascinating and her perspective is refreshing. Don't get me wrong, I love the scientific content and some of the "pet tube" style stuff, but this is a singular perspective that needs to be seen by as many people as possible.

  • @Snake_Therapy

    @Snake_Therapy

    Ай бұрын

    ❤️❤️❤️

  • @scidia9745
    @scidia9745Ай бұрын

    I love Shira's content! Such a good interview, the reptile community tends to attract people with neurodiversity, trauma, and mental health struggles. I'm very glad that this aspect is being looked into!

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    Thank you for watching!

  • @mrderekwelsh
    @mrderekwelsh13 күн бұрын

    Shira is a good longtime friend. So inspired by her ! So glad you had her on your show Dillon. Absolutely love both your shows. 🙏🏽

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    13 күн бұрын

    Thank you so much for watching! 🙏🏻

  • @leesreptilesandaquatics6368
    @leesreptilesandaquatics6368Ай бұрын

    I have sever panic attacks and anxiety plus I have other medical issues and my iguana is like my serve animal she knows when something is wrong she will climb up my back and start to lick my face and rub her face on mine she helps keeps me calm unfortunately my snakes are to squirmy to try to use to help with calming but what she doing is awesome with having therapy snakes.

  • @mobydickii8407
    @mobydickii8407Ай бұрын

    I am just 2 minutes in the episode and I just wanted to say that when I bought my Brazilian Rainbow Boa (did lots of research before choosing a BRB), I told the breeder that she would be kind of an emotional support pet (we are 3 autistics at home). He told me that a Cornsnake would be more appropriate for that purpose. I knew that I would only have one snake so we chose a BRB for the colors, the iridescence (visual stimming), her muscles can feel like a deep pressure massage. She keeps us grounded, calm. We have to take the time to care for her and the vivarium. They bring me joy. We also have two cats and a dog. They all provide love and support, each in their own way.

  • @Snake_Therapy

    @Snake_Therapy

    Ай бұрын

    I’m glad you chose the animal that you knew would be best for *you*, and that you would be most engaged with, rather than listen to someone else’s suggestion! The more engaged you are the better the relationship and the more you can get from it! ❤ that’s really valuable insight you shared.

  • @mobydickii8407

    @mobydickii8407

    Ай бұрын

    @@Snake_Therapy I am near the end of the video. It's fun to see other people think like us. I had a coral reef aquarium in my twenties. I think I was the only girl at the university (not a big one, I live in Quebec) with a reef in my living room. No tv, just a big aquarium. My son was hyperfocused about ants since he was a toddler. So we had colonies at home when he was a teenager. Now it is a snake, isopods and a vivarium. I keep every shed and would like to make some jewelry with some. I will go see yours and do the survey.

  • @miliniumo147
    @miliniumo147Ай бұрын

    This had so many great points i never thought about, really glad i listened to it. It had so many things i could relate with, not wanting a super needy animal, low maintenance, having a connection over feeling weird/outcast in society, and also the hyper focus 😂 I have actually spent 30+ hours in the last few weeks alone just learned about everything related to Uromastyx and reptiles in general. I'm hoping all this learning will equip me to provide my future Uro with the best care and environment i can 😁 Thank you for all of your extremely helpful content; it's a joy to listen and learn from

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    That’s awesome, glad you enjoyed the episode. Thank you very much for listening! Good luck with the rest of your Uro research! 🙂

  • @honeybeeart9382
    @honeybeeart9382Ай бұрын

    What a wonderful person!!! This was a great episode and I think what Shira is doing is adding such a valuable, poignant presence to the world and I want her voice to be heard everywhere because everything she has to say is so insightful and beneficial to both the animals and the people who keep them. ♥

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    Well said, Vicky! :)

  • @Snake_Therapy

    @Snake_Therapy

    Ай бұрын

    🥹 thank you so much, what a beautiful comment.

  • @ingeniouspixie
    @ingeniouspixieАй бұрын

    Love Shira! Glad she's finally getting the recognition!

  • @Snake_Therapy

    @Snake_Therapy

    Ай бұрын

    🥹🥹🥹❤️

  • @tdmveenstra7590

    @tdmveenstra7590

    Ай бұрын

    I can fully agree 🤗👍

  • @peanut4745
    @peanut4745Ай бұрын

    This is such an amazing podcast. Recently I got a taste of what equine therapy can do for those with ADHD, autism etc…. Hopefully this builds more awareness about possible reptile therapy! What a great story

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    Absolutely, thank you very much for watching!

  • @sunnylilfox
    @sunnylilfoxАй бұрын

    Thank you for posting this, lately I feel like my royal pythons (That's all I can call them now.) have been my emotional support animals along with my actual registered ESA who's a dog as seen in my photo. They keep me going and have helped me so much with my Anxiety and ADHD, so thank you so much for this podcast, I needed this so much and would love to learn more about it as it gets explored.

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    Thank you very much for watching, glad it resonated with you. I’m sure we will do more on this topic in the future, but make sure you subscribe to Shea’s channel as well as she will be diving into it much deeper and on a regular basis!

  • @dacisky
    @daciskyАй бұрын

    Since I was a kid,before I bought a pet,I researched it and I still do. I get so annoyed when someone on Reddit buys a reptile and first post is:"I just bought a _________ any tips?" I find this so weird. Anyway,I've been following her channel even though I don't have a snake. Anyway,Animals At Home just gets better and better!!!

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    So glad you enjoyed this episode, thank you very much for listening as always!

  • @jendubay3782
    @jendubay3782Ай бұрын

    I'm ND. I got my 1st royal python. Within a year got a 2nd. And 3rd. I got my 4th AND final this year. So 4 snakes in 2 years. Thats my limit. I dont have space for more. I dont have the energy daily to care for more. When I feel like, 'gee.... Maybe another snake...?' i instead pull one of my precious snakey angels out and appreciate them , watch them in their playpen, its amazing. The more you interact with the animals You Currently Have the more you discover who they are behavioral wise and personality wose 💖

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    Very well said!

  • @jackleith3502
    @jackleith3502Ай бұрын

    This was a really good episode and a great guest! I think one thing that’s often missed with people who are ‘different’ when they’re kids is that you know you’re different, and animals like snakes, spiders, lizards etc. are something ‘different’ like you. Most people are cats and dogs, and that’s ok, but some of us are snakes and spiders and scales and creepy crawlies, and that’s ok too.

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    Exactly, well said!

  • @mitchmccline1614
    @mitchmccline1614Ай бұрын

    Amazing episode! Thank you both

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    Thank you, Mitch!

  • @Snake_Therapy

    @Snake_Therapy

    Ай бұрын

    ❤️

  • @jonathanyoungblood8676
    @jonathanyoungblood8676Ай бұрын

    I love this episode

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    Glad you enjoyed it!

  • @Ron-snakesinthegarage
    @Ron-snakesinthegarageАй бұрын

    What a great upload! 👍💯

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    Thanks, Ron!

  • @RAAxotics
    @RAAxoticsАй бұрын

    Man I love this pod great episode!!! I definitely relate to a lot of that

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    Glad you enjoyed it!

  • @Snake_Therapy

    @Snake_Therapy

    Ай бұрын

    😊

  • @Lizardliker
    @LizardlikerАй бұрын

    I enjoyed that one, thank you, well done 👍.

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    Glad you enjoyed it

  • @learningformyreptiles1195
    @learningformyreptiles1195Ай бұрын

    Someone told me reptiles can't love like we do, I explained that it would be harder, but their is nothing neurological that would suggest that, but I think we need to look back at love in people, how many people marry for love to just get divorced? Why can you fall in love and out? Maybe we should be questioning that instead if reptiles can love.

  • @LetsTalkHerps
    @LetsTalkHerpsАй бұрын

    You said, “how did you get to the point where you were willing to actually put it in your hand, though?” And I laughed. Because I’m a 9 year old. 😂 always love the podcasts, Dylan. Another great interview

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    😂😂 when I took that section and turned it into a KZread short, KZread marked it as inappropriate at first 😆. Thanks for watching, Steven!

  • @LetsTalkHerps

    @LetsTalkHerps

    Ай бұрын

    Hahahaha. I love that.

  • @questtherebelgaming
    @questtherebelgamingАй бұрын

    Shira is Awesome!! i love watching her channel!

  • @Snake_Therapy

    @Snake_Therapy

    Ай бұрын

    🥹❤️

  • @tdmveenstra7590
    @tdmveenstra7590Ай бұрын

    "I'm not changing the world" yes Shira, you are. One snake at a time!

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    🙂

  • @Snake_Therapy

    @Snake_Therapy

    Ай бұрын

    @tdmveenstra7590 🥹💕🐍

  • @kiaraortiz3693
    @kiaraortiz3693Ай бұрын

    That is tru reptile help wit mental healt my animal help me alot its been 2 years mi firs reptile 😂😂is a New me no drug for over 2 year is amaising this animal can do for us reptile came plant to is other ting allow me to heal...

  • @Familiarspirits
    @FamiliarspiritsАй бұрын

    Thank you for a great podcast as always! I love the idea of snakes helping people ovecome fears etc. Although I'm super sceptical of 'snake therapy ' as I think that the animals don't gain much from being handled and carried around by lots of people, some who are even really scared of them. I do own different kinds of snakes and none of them would be happy being carried around by strangers a lot. Even if some might tolerate it. This is no criticism, I'd just like to know what people think about it.I'm a social worker and work with kids and grown ups with lots of different diagnoses and addiction problems and would love to include my animals in therapy, but I'm to afraid to stress them out and that helping people might hurt the animals in the long run. The last time I brought this up, they were upset for me having this opinion, but like I said, I just want to have a friendly conversation about it 💚

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    Thank you for watching the podcast, glad you enjoyed it! It’s a very good point you make. I think there’s definitely a trade-off and a balance here. I think there’s no doubt that some individual snakes, can learn to tolerate being handled without any negative consequences, and on the other hand, some individual snakes will never cope with being handled. I have an episode coming out in a few weeks that covers welfare and training, and specifically discusses increasing an animals ability to cope with “stress”!

  • @jendubay3782

    @jendubay3782

    Ай бұрын

    I have 4 royal pythons, of them only 1 would be an animal I would take places and let people hold. I think it REALLY super depends on the animals personality and tolerances for sure

  • @Familiarspirits

    @Familiarspirits

    Ай бұрын

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast looking forward to this episode! I try to practice force free handling if possible, but that would be too hard in a therapy setting. Even my friendliest, most inquisitive boa does not just climb on different people on her own. It's a lot different from therapy with dogs for example, who can clearly show that they want interactions and even enjoy them.

  • @snakemannn1744
    @snakemannn1744Ай бұрын

    A ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Very well done ,,,, we are one ,,,,,, Yes she would be a wife but she is taken ' ,,,, Great One ,,,, All what she said and talked about is Queen n deed ' ,,,, " Hands Down Bro ,,, keep it rollin ' "

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    Thank you, my friend! 🙏🏻

  • @1mrcow143
    @1mrcow143Ай бұрын

    ♾️ Autism Acceptance ftw ♾️

  • @hefoxed
    @hefoxedАй бұрын

    LGBT + autism/neurodiversity: Trans people are 6x more likely to be autistic compared to cis folk While there may be social reasons for that, there may be overlap in biological mechanism during fetal development. There's some obscure studies linking increased trans children to unusual hormone levels/endorcrine disruption during fetal development, and some not-obscure study finding increased estrogen and testestrone in samples of fetuses that later were diagnosed with autism. There;'s also theory that hormones may effect sexuality development, so possible overlap there also -- basically, hormones effect brain development, and all three are probably a brain development thing. ... based on googling/looking at studies, and even a physical book that mentioned those obscure studies.

  • @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    @AnimalsatHomePodcast

    Ай бұрын

    That is very interesting!

  • @Snake_Therapy

    @Snake_Therapy

    Ай бұрын

    @hefoxed that’s super interesting- I’d definitely heard a little on that, but now I want to check stats again on survey participants. Last I looked, the majority of answers were from cis females, but I’ve definitely seen an uptick in LGBTQ+ responses lately. Not that my little survey is a real marker for the relationship between neurodiversity and gender identity, but it’s just interesting to think about.

  • @Cold_Blooded_Gems_
    @Cold_Blooded_Gems_Ай бұрын

    Trump 2024 🙌🏻🫡

  • @joshuaduran3169

    @joshuaduran3169

    Ай бұрын

    All the way brother !!!🇺🇸🫡

  • @joshuaduran3169

    @joshuaduran3169

    Ай бұрын

    Glad to see another fellow conservative reptile keeper 🐍

  • @jendubay3782

    @jendubay3782

    Ай бұрын

    😅 that's got nothing to do with the podcast.... What?

  • @Cold_Blooded_Gems_

    @Cold_Blooded_Gems_

    Ай бұрын

    @@jendubay3782 except for the brief rant about how bad her life was during the Trump era 🤷🏻‍♂️ . Anyways ……

  • @Cold_Blooded_Gems_

    @Cold_Blooded_Gems_

    Ай бұрын

    @@joshuaduran3169 amen ! 🫡🇺🇸 people cry about Trump like he ruined their lives 😂 our country was never doing as good! We had global respect! Biden has turned us into a freak show joke ! What gets me is how mad people get and the assumptions people make when someone believes in the very country that gave them the right to be free! In what other country could someone march down the street chanting death to their country without being at very least put in prison for treason !?! They love freedom of speech when you’re saying what they wanna hear 🤔 . I’m with ya ! Zero shame about it either 🫡🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🙏🏻🤙🏻

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