Instead of awakening to Spot barking or Frisky purring, Lauren Van Atter listens to Fiyero sing a solo at 6 a.m. Fiyero, named for a character in the musical "Wicked" is Lauren's cockatiel. Most kids have pet dogs and cats, but according to Dr. Angela Lennox, more young people are choosing to own exotic pets than ever before.

Touching things methodically. Reading the same book pages repeatedly while the rest of the class moves on to future chapters. Worrying about how she's different from other kids.