Why the media focus on Asperger's Syndrome?

[Shelzin]

Using his "mental illness" as an excuse out for his murdering rampage.... is bullshit. [/COLOR]

I agree. He should be removed from society regardless.

He should be judged by his actions. Just as this ladies son should be for his that I just responded to.

 

[Noomi]

no ,it was most likely the drugs they where treating him with

Has there been much research into the way that drugs used to treat Asperger's can effect a person?

 

[zonly1]

Asberger, video games, going to target range with your mother, your mom was a prepper, mom shot dead while sleeping.....and Obumer blames us.....FAUK THIS DICTATOR.

More cover ups for Benghazi and purging of generals....

So when are you libs going to exercise your God given talents of reading comprehension...

Say when....

 

[aaronleland]

it is a convenient excuse for a good deal of things.... and i am pretty sick of it.

behaving badly, is as far as i am concerned, one the the top reasons it is given as an excuse.... to give bad behavior a pass.

oh my child has aspergers.... you cant treat or say that to him... his behaving badly is not his fault.

My son has Aspergers syndrome. Because of that, his social skills are not what one would call "normal". He doesn't recognize personal space, he talks too loud and he obsesses on certain things. He is also extremely intelligent and one of the nicest people you will ever know. He comes to the church every Monday to put lunches together for the homeless. He spends time talking to them. The women of the church are singing his praises for his help. It's not even our church, it's my friend's church. While he refuses to see a play at our local theater, he will put on his best clothes and take tickets or hand out programs or whatever we need him to do and he is always considerate.

Because of his lack of people skills, he can't get a job. Most people don't even notice anything wrong with him, until they spend time with him.

My son was not interested in driving at 16. Now at 28, he is. He's about 10 years behind others his age, at least socially.

Aspergers Syndrome, BTW, has been removed from the DSM, it's now lumped in with autism and is considered high functioning autism. My son at 28 still can't place the names and faces of his aunts and uncles or most of his cousins. He has to be reminded of almost everything. I really wish people would read a little before making their uneducated responses and theories.

As someone with such information of the condition... Are you suggesting that it didn't have anything to do with it? You can somehow make that statement based on... What exactly?

By all means... Make the argument that people don't understand the condition... I don't mind... But to create an argument that it likely didn't have anything to do with it is asinine.

This guy who killed children and some adults had a condition that gave him difficulties in social interactions and often has problems with empathy of others? No shit... Not exactly a leap on logic here. Does that mean that all people who have this condition are killers? No it does not.

Now I THINK, and HOPE, that you are trying to say that you don't like the stigma Asperger is getting because of this ordeal and you are TRYING to show that not all people with Asperger is like that. Not that it didn't have anything to do with it.

The saying goes that if you have met one person with Aspergers you have met one person with Aspergers. Everybody with it is different, but as far as I know violent rampages the likes of the one in CT are unheard of. There are co-morbids that are common among people with Aspergers though. Depression is a common one due to difficulty socializing the same way others do. I wouldn't rule out any co-morbid conditions having something to do with it, but I seriously doubt Aspergers was the cause.

 

[SniperFire]

Because they can't talk about good or evil

... or personal responsibility.

 

[ba1614]

It's the desperation to deflect the blame from the animal who pulled the trigger.

 

[Shelzin]

My son has Aspergers syndrome. Because of that, his social skills are not what one would call "normal". He doesn't recognize personal space, he talks too loud and he obsesses on certain things. He is also extremely intelligent and one of the nicest people you will ever know. He comes to the church every Monday to put lunches together for the homeless. He spends time talking to them. The women of the church are singing his praises for his help. It's not even our church, it's my friend's church. While he refuses to see a play at our local theater, he will put on his best clothes and take tickets or hand out programs or whatever we need him to do and he is always considerate.

Because of his lack of people skills, he can't get a job. Most people don't even notice anything wrong with him, until they spend time with him.

My son was not interested in driving at 16. Now at 28, he is. He's about 10 years behind others his age, at least socially.

Aspergers Syndrome, BTW, has been removed from the DSM, it's now lumped in with autism and is considered high functioning autism. My son at 28 still can't place the names and faces of his aunts and uncles or most of his cousins. He has to be reminded of almost everything. I really wish people would read a little before making their uneducated responses and theories.

As someone with such information of the condition... Are you suggesting that it didn't have anything to do with it? You can somehow make that statement based on... What exactly?

By all means... Make the argument that people don't understand the condition... I don't mind... But to create an argument that it likely didn't have anything to do with it is asinine.

This guy who killed children and some adults had a condition that gave him difficulties in social interactions and often has problems with empathy of others? No shit... Not exactly a leap on logic here. Does that mean that all people who have this condition are killers? No it does not.

Now I THINK, and HOPE, that you are trying to say that you don't like the stigma Asperger is getting because of this ordeal and you are TRYING to show that not all people with Asperger is like that. Not that it didn't have anything to do with it.

The saying goes that if you have met one person with Aspergers you have met one person with Aspergers.

I agree... I have no problems with that.

Everybody with it is different, but as far as I know violent rampages the likes of the one in CT are unheard of. There are co-morbids that are common among people with Aspergers though. Depression is a common one due to difficulty socializing the same way others do. I wouldn't rule out any co-morbid conditions having something to do with it, but I seriously doubt Aspergers was the cause.

Of course it wasn't the cause... It's like anything else in this world. It was something that was used, intentionally or not, to get a result that society doesn't accept.

Blaming it on Aspergers is the same thing as blaming the guns that he used. There is no morality in either of them. There should be no judgement on the guns or the mental conditions of the person who use them, only on the person themselves. They used them wrongly according to society, and thus the person should be removed from society.

 

[Stephanie]

As somebody who has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome it disturbs me to see the media focus on that as one of the possible reasons behind the CT school shooting. Not only that, but both people from the "compassionate right" and the "tolerant left" have pointed towards Asperger's as one of the ways in which the shooter was "mentally ill". I ask that people educate themselves before jumping to conclusions on why this tragedy took place. Crazy is crazy, and Asperger's Syndrome had nothing to do with it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome

it is a convenient excuse for a good deal of things.... and i am pretty sick of it.

behaving badly, is as far as i am concerned, one the the top reasons it is given as an excuse.... to give bad behavior a pass.

oh my child has aspergers.... you cant treat or say that to him... his behaving badly is not his fault.

it's a means of looking for answers for something horrible for which they probably are no answers. and since aspergers has a correlation with a lack of empathy and feeling for others, it is just something they're looking at.

should they NOT talk about it?

well the media sure gave that consideration to Zimmerman, didn't they

NO, they used him as a example from something they didn't LIKE, a stand your ground law and tried to stir up a race thing

 

[Si modo]

no ,it was most likely the drugs they where treating him with

Has there been much research into the way that drugs used to treat Asperger's can effect a person?

Asbergers typically is not treated with medications.

As someone who spends plenty of time with a 14 yo boy with Asbergers, some of what folks have said in this thread is beyond mean and ignorant. Just like autism, Asbergers also has a range of how severe it is. When the boy was visiting us this weekend, we made it a point not to have the news on because he is sad about what happened and is scared that he is doomed to do the same. Thank you media.

As far as any lack of empathy is concerned and where it concerns this boy, that is utter bullshit. Not ALL Asbergers kids lack empathy. In fact, sometimes I believe this boy may have too much. He is quite upset when he sees other children ridiculed. When I hurt my leg (and he doesn't care for me too much....his dad's fiance and all that), he kept coming into the room and asking if my leg still hurts.

he is obsessed about certain topics - baseball stats, for example. He knows them better than anyone on earth, I imagine. He does need time to retreat to his room. He does say inappropriate things at times, too.

However, when his parents learned about his Asbergers, they made a concerted effort to always change his routine. He would have meltdowns, but they hugged and assured him that it was OK. He still likes routine, but it has been a long time since he had any meltdown about a change in it.

He has friends....few, but he has them. His parents had him play LL baseball from T-ball age up until 10-13 yo majors.

He is an incredibly caring person about others - doesn't like bullying to other kids and cared about my hurt leg (even though I'm not one of his favorite persons). But, he hates hugs. Yeah, he can be a shit at times, but I...me...have to remember not to take it personally.

Maybe he is a mild case, maybe what his parents did when he was young made a difference, maybe both.

But, since I have known him, I have read up on Asbergers a lot so that I could understand how to relate with him. I have no knowledge of Asbergers being correlated to violence and/or sociopathy.

I believe the media and many others are being irresponsible about this and should inform themselves more on the syndrome before they comment on it.

JMHO and just my personal experience.

 

[FA_Q2]

i agree.... 100%. Could it be a contributing factor.... possible. It should be interesting to see if they can recover anything from his distorted computer.

Using his "mental illness" as an excuse out for his murdering rampage.... is bullshit.

Uh, no its not. This is not an example of bad behavior. It is not an example of trying to place blame or responsibility (everyone that could have been 'blamed' is dead so its a moot point). What this is an example of is crazy.

Simple. No excuses, no passes and no damn finger pointing either. If you are capable of killing ANY 6 year olds, let alone many, you are simply crazy. His condition might have something to do with it, I don't know because I don't really know much about the condition. That does not make it off topic nor does talking about it mean anyone is trying to excuse anyone from the tragic events.

I really don't understand what you are getting at here? What are they supposed to be talking about? How he was evil incarnate? How terrible he was? What's the point, he is dead. That is God's job. What we are left with is wondering what could possibly have made this person so deranged that he could willingly kill a child.

 

[Dreamy]

As somebody who has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome it disturbs me to see the media focus on that as one of the possible reasons behind the CT school shooting. Not only that, but both people from the "compassionate right" and the "tolerant left" have pointed towards Asperger's as one of the ways in which the shooter was "mentally ill". I ask that people educate themselves before jumping to conclusions on why this tragedy took place. Crazy is crazy, and Asperger's Syndrome had nothing to do with it.

Asperger syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

it is a convenient excuse for a good deal of things.... and i am pretty sick of it.

behaving badly, is as far as i am concerned, one the the top reasons it is given as an excuse.... to give bad behavior a pass.

oh my child has aspergers.... you cant treat or say that to him... his behaving badly is not his fault.

it's a means of looking for answers for something horrible for which they probably are no answers. and since aspergers has a correlation with a lack of empathy and feeling for others, it is just something they're looking at.

should they NOT talk about it?

and since aspergers has a correlation with a lack of empathy and feeling for others

I can assure you I have a family member with Asperger's Syndrome and the above does not even come close to describing him. He takes no meds either. He is the most gentle person I know and he prays for people in our family when they are sick or in need. I see more people on this board exhibiting signs and behavior that they lack empathy and feelings for others honestly. Based on what some people post here I wonder about the mental health and stability of several.

I hope we one day find out what meds this boy was possibly on because that is the direction I would look for explaining the violent nature vented in mass killings we are seeing in 20 somethings.

I would also like to see the ratio of boys to girls being medicated with psychotropic drugs.

This is all a very complex topic and we have much to learn about this case in particuler but I hope people don't assume they understand medical conditions completely just because they can possess a computer and can google.

 

[Dreamy]

no ,it was most likely the drugs they where treating him with

Has there been much research into the way that drugs used to treat Asperger's can effect a person?

Who said drugs are used to treat Asperger's?



I am not aware of that ever being the case. Asperger's is NOT a mental illness.

Mental = Psychological = Mind = Software
Asperger’s = Neurological = Brain = Hardware

Asperger Syndrome Fact Sheet: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

 

[Dreamy]

As somebody who has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome it disturbs me to see the media focus on that as one of the possible reasons behind the CT school shooting. Not only that, but both people from the "compassionate right" and the "tolerant left" have pointed towards Asperger's as one of the ways in which the shooter was "mentally ill". I ask that people educate themselves before jumping to conclusions on why this tragedy took place. Crazy is crazy, and Asperger's Syndrome had nothing to do with it.

Asperger syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

it is a convenient excuse for a good deal of things.... and i am pretty sick of it.

behaving badly, is as far as i am concerned, one the the top reasons it is given as an excuse.... to give bad behavior a pass.

oh my child has aspergers.... you cant treat or say that to him... his behaving badly is not his fault.

You are off the mark on Asperger's Syndrome Sy and may be confusing it with other diagnosis'

Bad behavior as you call it is not common behavior of this Syndrome and I am not aware of it ever being falsely diagnosed to excuse "bad behavior".

 

[Seawytch]

Kids (and adults) with Aspergers are prone to frustration, anger – and sometimes violence. The rapidity and intensity of anger, often in response to a relatively trivial event, can be extreme. When feeling angry, the child with Aspergers does not appear to be able to pause and think of alternative strategies to resolve the situation. There is often an instantaneous physical response without careful thought. When the anger is intense, the youngster with Aspergers may be in a blind rage and unable to see the signals indicating that it would be appropriate to stop.

Kids with Aspergers have a great deal of difficulty with social relationships. They have trouble understanding the meaning of what others are saying and doing, and they typically struggle to take the other person's perspective. In addition, kids with Aspergers are typically dependent upon structure and routine because they have trouble making sense of the "gray areas" of any interaction. Thus, there is room for a great deal of confusion. Kids in a confused state can easily become frustrated, angry, and lash out.

For some kids with Aspergers, there appears to be a faulty emotion regulation or control mechanism for expressing anger. This means they are more likely to use aggression or violence as a way of dealing with their anger. For others, aggression may be a way of controlling their circumstances and experiences. For example, they may threaten to hurt their mother if she insists on their going to school; or they may use violence to make her buy something associated with their special interest. For others, aggression can be a way to make other people stop what they are doing – teasing or bullying – or a simply a way to make them go away. It is also possible that in some kids with Aspergers, the aggression is masking a mood disorder, such as clinical depression.

http://www.myaspergerschild.com/2010/06/anger-and-violence-in-aspergers.html?m=1

 

[Si modo]

Famous persons with Asbergers:


Adam Young, multi-instrumentalist, producer and the founder of the electronic project Owl City.
Adrian Lamo, American computer hacker
Carl Soderholm, speaker in neuropsychiatric disorders
Clay Marzo, American professional surfer
Craig Nicholls, frontman of the Australian garage rock band, The Vines
Dan Aykroyd, comedian and actor: Aykroyd stated he has Asperger's, but some feel he was joking.
Daniel Tammet, British autistic savant, believed to have Asperger Syndrome
Daryl Hannah, actress
Dawn Prince-Hughes, PhD, primate anthropologist, ethologist, and author of Songs for the Gorilla Nation
Gary Numan, British singer and songwriter
Heather Kuzmich, fashion model and reality show contestant on America's Next Top Model
James Durbin, finalist on the tenth season of American Idol
Jerry Newport, American author and mathematical savant, basis of the film Mozart and the Whale
John Elder Robison, author of Look Me in the Eye
Judy Singer, Australian disability rights activist
Liane Holliday Willey, author of Pretending to be Normal, Asperger Syndrome in the Family; Asperger syndrome advocate; education professor; and adult diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at age 35
Lizzy Clark, actress and campaigner
Luke Jackson, author
Michael Burry, US investment fund manager
Nicky Reilly, failed suicide bomber from Britain
Paddy Considine, actor
Peter Howson, Scottish painter
Phillipa "Pip" Brown (aka Ladyhawke), indie rock musician
Raymond Thompson, New Zealand scriptwriter and TV producer
Richard Borcherds, mathematician specializing in group theory and Lie algebras
Robert Durst, American real estate developer accused of murder
Robert Napper, British murderer
Satoshi Tajiri, creator and designer of Pokemon
Tim Ellis, Australian magician and author
Tim Page, Pulitzer Prize-winning critic and author
Travis Meeks, lead singer, guitarist and song writer for acoustic rock band Days of the New.
Vernon L. Smith, Nobel Laureate in Economics
William Cottrell, student who was sentenced to eight years in jail for fire-bombing SUV dealerships

Speculated to have Asperger's Syndrome

Abraham Lincoln,1809-1865, US Politician
Alan Turing, 1912-1954, English mathematician, computer scientist and cryptographer
Albert Einstein, 1879-1955, German/American theoretical physicist
Alexander Graham Bell, 1847-1922, Scottish/Canadian/American inventor of the telephone
Anton Bruckner , 1824-1896, Austrian composer
Bela Bartok, 1881-1945, Hungarian composer
Benjamin Franklin,1706-1790, US polictician/writer
Bertrand Russell, 1872-1970, British logician
Bobby Fischer, 1943-2008, World Chess Champion
Carl Jung, 1875-1961, Swiss psychoanalyst
Charles Rennie Mackintosh, 1868-1928, Scottish architect and designer
Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886, US poet
Erik Satie, 1866-1925 - Composer
Franz Kafka, 1883-1924, Czech writer
Friedrich Nietzsche, 1844-1900, German philosopher
George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Irish playwright, writer of Pygmalion, critic and Socialist
George Washington, 1732-1799, US Politician
Gustav Mahler, 1860-1911, Czech/Austrian composer
Marilyn Monroe, 1926-1962, US actress
H P Lovecraft, 1890-1937, US writer
Henry Cavendish, 1731-1810, English/French scientist, discovered the composition of air and water
Henry Ford, 1863-1947, US industrialist
Henry Thoreau, 1817-1862, US writer
Isaac Newton, 1642-1727, English mathematician and physicist
Jane Austen, 1775-1817, English novelist, author of Pride and Prejudice
Kaspar Hauser, c1812-1833, German foundling, portrayed in a film by Werner Herzog
Ludwig II, 1845-1886, King of Bavaria
Ludwig Wittgenstein, 1889-1951, Viennese/English logician and philosopher
Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770-1827, German/Viennese composer
Mark Twain, 1835-1910, US humorist
Michelangelo, 1475 1564 - Italian Renissance artist
Nikola Tesla, 1856-1943, Serbian/American scientist, engineer, inventor of electric motors
Oliver Heaviside, 1850-1925, English physicist
Richard Strauss, 1864-1949, German composer
Seth Engstrom, 1987-Present, Magician and World Champion
Thomas Edison, 1847-1931, US inventor
Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826, US politician
Vincent Van Gogh, 1853-1890, Dutch painter
Virginia Woolf, 1882-1941, English Writer
Wasily Kandinsky, 1866-1944, Russian/French painter
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756-1791, Austrian composer

Historical people

Alfred Hitchcock, 1899-1980, English/American film director
Andy Kaufman, 1949-1984, US comedian, subject of the film Man on the Moon
Andy Warhol, 1928-1987, US artist.
Charles Schulz, 1922-2000, US cartoonist and creator of Peanuts and Charlie Brown
Glenn Gould, 1932-1982, Canadian pianist
Hans Asperger, 1906-1980, Austrian paediatric doctor after whom Asperger's Syndrom is named
Howard Hughes, 1905-1976, US billionaire
Isaac Asimov, 1920-1992, Russian/US writer on science and of science fiction, author of Bicentennial Man
Jim Henson, 1936-1990, creator of the Muppets, US puppeteer, writer, producer, director, composer
John Denver, 1943-1997, US musician
L S Lowry, 1887-1976, English painter of "matchstick men"

Contemporary People

Al Gore, 1948-, former US Vice President and presidential candidate
Bill Gates, 1955-, Entrepreneur and philanthropist. A key player in the personal computer revolution.
Bob Dylan, 1941-, US singer-songwriter
Charles Dickinson, 1951, US Writer
Crispin Glover, 1964-, US actor
David Helfgott, 1947-, Australian pianist, subject of the film Shine
Garrison Keillor, 1942-, US writer, humorist and host of Prairie Home Companion
Genie, 1957-?, US "wild child" (see also L'Enfant Sauvage, Victor, )
James Taylor, 1948-, US singer/songwriter
Jamie Hyneman, 1956-, Co-host of Mythbusters
Jeff Greenfield, 1943-, US political analyst/speechwriter, a political wonk
John Motson, 1945-, English sports commentator
John Nash, 1928-, US mathematician (portrayed by Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind, USA 2001)
Joseph Erber, 1985-, young English composer/musician who has Asperger's Syndrome, subject of a BBC TV documentary
Keith Olbermann, 1959-, US sportscaster
Kevin Mitnick, 1963-, US "hacker"
Michael Palin, 1943-, English comedian and presenter
Oliver Sacks, 1933-, UK/US neurologist, author of The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Awakenings
Paul Kostabi 1962-, writer, comedian, artist, producer, technician
Pip Brown "Ladyhawke", 1979-, New Zealand Singer/Songwriter, Musician
Robin Williams, 1951-, US Actor
Seth Engstrom, 1987-, Magician and World Champion in Sleight of Hand. The best man with a deck of cards that the world has ever seen.
Tony Benn, 1925-, English Labour politician



Disabled World - Disability News for all the Family: Famous People with Asperger's Syndrome

 

[Katzndogz]

This is all about equality. If one person as Asperger's and is nice, peaceful, helpful, they ALL are. That some might be murderous would be unequal. Adam Lanza is the same as Albert Einstein! If it just wasn't society's fault for not treating him well enough.

That's why we have mass killers. They are victims in an unjust world and everyone must be punished.

 

[Dreamy]

This is all about equality. If one person as Asperger's and is nice, peaceful, helpful, they ALL are. That some might be murderous would be unequal. Adam Lanza is the same as Albert Einstein! If it just wasn't society's fault for not treating him well enough.

That's why we have mass killers. They are victims in an unjust world and everyone must be punished.

No not at all. This about facts versus speculation or false claims by people with nothing more than a computer and a search engine.

I do personally take issue with armchair psychiatrists however.

I have no idea why Lanza did what he did and neither does anyone here. The facts are simply not known and may never be clear. I am waiting like everyone else to see what may be gleamed about the motive for his horrible actions.

 

[tap4154]

He had many more issues than just Aspergers, which is a condition that varies greatly in each individual anyway. It IS very irresponsible and shameless the way MSM keeps referring to it, as if that's why the guy did what he did. He probably was over-medicated, had other severe personality disorders, and other issues like his parents' divorce and relationship, or lack of relationship, with his father and brother, and probably other issues that we don't yet know about. And apparently an obsession with violent shoot-em-up video games.

 

[Dreamy]

He had many more issues than just Aspergers, which is a condition that varies greatly in each individual anyway. It IS very irresponsible and shameless the way MSM keeps referring to it, as if that's why the guy did what he did. He probably was over-medicated, had other severe personality disorders, and other issues like his parents' divorce and relationship, or lack of relationship, with his father and brother, and probably other issues that we don't yet know about. And apparently an obsession with violent shoot-em-up video games.

The MSM is much of the problem and then when you add in the internet with all the "experts" with their computers.....well you know.

By the way, has there been any official medical confirmation that Lanza was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome? I suspect the privacy laws we live with would indicate there has not been.

 

[Truthmatters]

no ,it was most likely the drugs they where treating him with

his mother never got him treatment from what the reports say