A yellow-and-brown boa constrictor snake wraps itself around David Gomes's neck like a scarf. But the 15-year-old Brazilian boy with autism is fascinated, not afraid.
For him, this is therapy.
"His name is Gold. He's cold. He eats mice," Gomes tells his therapist, gently holding the large snake as it slithers around him.
Those are exactly the kind of words his therapist, Andrea Ribeiro, wants to hear.
She treats people with disabilities, autism or anxiety, using an unusual method: reptile therapy.
She says the reptiles help patients relax and improve their communication, motor skills and other abilities.
Her unusual treatment centre has an open-air space where patients play with snakes, lizards, turtles and little alligators.
