Why the media focus on Asperger's Syndrome?

[Dreamy]

Simple question. Has anyone confirmed that the kid had asbergers?
As far as I have heard it has only been second hand information and hearsay.
Has anyone spoken to his doctor and gotten the information directly from him?

See my same post above asking the same.

Seems that a lot of people are going by hearsay evidence.
Since the shooter is dead, I believe the HIPAA Privacy Rules are not in effect.
So it seems it would be simple to track down is doctor and get the facts straight.

I am not sure about how HIPAA applies at this time but until I see an official report about his medical history and treatment I will assume nothing about his health,mental or otherwise. That he was disturbed has been proven simply by his actions on Friday. The reason why he did why he did has not been proven.

 

[rightwinger]

Provide the link please.

Asperger syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It seems it would take a person with no empathy to execute six year olds

I agree and there are many people without Asperger's Syndrome who would fill that requirement.

True

But the thread is about did Aspergers syndrome contribute to the crime? Those with Aspergers have dificulty dealing with other people. The concept of "walk a mile in their shoes" is foreign to them. A person entirely without empathy is capable of executing six year olds.
I'm sure that like most mental illness, there are degrees of affliction. I just think that in this case Aspergers may have been compounded by other mental issues

 

[Skull Pilot]

Aspergers is another fake syndrome designed to pigeonhole people

 

[gwennie]

The police released these interview documents? Better link for me. So basically this is hearsay from family and friends? That is fine but please do post that link to the police interviews. Which police agency released these interviews? Links will be great. Thanks.

Anyone with a basic level of common sense can come to the conclusion that this kid had serious mental health problems in order to even be able to do something like this. Specific diagnoses, "confirmation" of family history info, etc....is not necessary. If you refuse to be willing to use common sense or are incapable of it, that is enough "evidence" to me that you have no clue what you are talking about AND your insistence that someone else provide evidence to prove their point is stupid and makes you look like an idiot.

I never said he did not likely have mental health issues. Better start reading all my posts since this tragedy happened. I am discussing a specific medical condition on this thread called Asperger's Syndrome and will continue to do so. The facts of this boy's mental health are not yet known nor are any of the medications that he may have been taking(or not) known. We have a media reporting speculations and hearsay. We have people passing that information on. So gwennie, that you oppose my request for actual factual confirmation or links on this matter and consider me an idiot for doing so really means nothing to me. I hope you understand.

Why would I want to go out of my way to read more of your posts when, after reading 2-3 of them, I find them to be inaccurate and silly? Waste of my time. Furthermore, expecting other people to provide you with links to only info that you deem important is not only bullying behavior but also narcissistic....as if your opinion is the only one that counts. As I said before, if you refuse to use common sense then you really have no reason to complain about other people's common sense arguments about the case.

 

[Dreamy]

Asperger syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It seems it would take a person with no empathy to execute six year olds

I agree and there are many people without Asperger's Syndrome who would fill that requirement.

True

But the thread is about did Aspergers syndrome contribute to the crime? Those with Aspergers have dificulty dealing with other people. The concept of "walk a mile in their shoes" is foreign to them. A person entirely without empathy is capable of executing six year olds.
I'm sure that like most mental illness, there are degrees of affliction. I just think that in this case Aspergers may have been compounded by other mental issues

I have direct experience with several people with Aspergers and I see no evidence first hand or medically provided by the professionals that their condition would indicate a propensity for violence. Other medical conditions perhaps but not this one.

If anyone wants to show credible evidence that people with Aspergers are noted for being violent toward others please do.

 

[Dreamy]

Anyone with a basic level of common sense can come to the conclusion that this kid had serious mental health problems in order to even be able to do something like this. Specific diagnoses, "confirmation" of family history info, etc....is not necessary. If you refuse to be willing to use common sense or are incapable of it, that is enough "evidence" to me that you have no clue what you are talking about AND your insistence that someone else provide evidence to prove their point is stupid and makes you look like an idiot.

I never said he did not likely have mental health issues. Better start reading all my posts since this tragedy happened. I am discussing a specific medical condition on this thread called Asperger's Syndrome and will continue to do so. The facts of this boy's mental health are not yet known nor are any of the medications that he may have been taking(or not) known. We have a media reporting speculations and hearsay. We have people passing that information on. So gwennie, that you oppose my request for actual factual confirmation or links on this matter and consider me an idiot for doing so really means nothing to me. I hope you understand.

Why would I want to go out of my way to read more of your posts when, after reading 2-3 of them, I find them to be inaccurate and silly? Waste of my time. Furthermore, expecting other people to provide you with links to only info that you deem important is not only bullying behavior but also narcissistic....as if your opinion is the only one that counts. As I said before, if you refuse to use common sense then you really have no reason to complain about other people's common sense arguments about the case.

Then ignore me and my posts. Problem solved for you. I don't much care.

 

[Dreamy]

Uh the shitbag posted numerous insults about my parents for no reason when I created a thread about the shooter's parents having some responsibilty. At first it seemed very weird for this freak to talk shit about my parents when this shitbag never met them, but now it's clear why the shitbag acts like the shooter.......both are insane.

Hopefully this shitbag mouths off to someone within fist distance of his face.

So you admit you're crazy....as well as a piece of shit.

Wow! Did you really post this in response to this poster's personal revelation? Unreal.

Okay, so personal crap going on between you two.

 

[rightwinger]

I agree and there are many people without Asperger's Syndrome who would fill that requirement.

True

But the thread is about did Aspergers syndrome contribute to the crime? Those with Aspergers have dificulty dealing with other people. The concept of "walk a mile in their shoes" is foreign to them. A person entirely without empathy is capable of executing six year olds.
I'm sure that like most mental illness, there are degrees of affliction. I just think that in this case Aspergers may have been compounded by other mental issues

I have direct experience with several people with Aspergers and I see no evidence first hand or medically provided by the professionals that their condition would indicate a propensity for violence. Other medical conditions perhaps but not this one.

If anyone wants to show credible evidence that people with Aspergers are noted for being violent toward others please do.

I have never known Aspergers patients to be violent either. However, the lack of empathy towards others compounded by other psychiatric issues could lead to a more deadly result

 

[Dreamy]

True

But the thread is about did Aspergers syndrome contribute to the crime? Those with Aspergers have dificulty dealing with other people. The concept of "walk a mile in their shoes" is foreign to them. A person entirely without empathy is capable of executing six year olds.
I'm sure that like most mental illness, there are degrees of affliction. I just think that in this case Aspergers may have been compounded by other mental issues

I have direct experience with several people with Aspergers and I see no evidence first hand or medically provided by the professionals that their condition would indicate a propensity for violence. Other medical conditions perhaps but not this one.

If anyone wants to show credible evidence that people with Aspergers are noted for being violent toward others please do.

I have never known Aspergers patients to be violent either. However, the lack of empathy towards others compounded by other psychiatric issues could lead to a more deadly result

Until we know more I am going to have to take a pass on why he did what he did. I do know there are many people in this world sadly who lack empathy and yet do not kill. I think the issue is too complex for most of us to draw any conclusions of what might have led this man to kill.

 

[Truthmatters]

Aspergers is another fake syndrome designed to pigeonhole people

how many people with asbergers have you met?

 

[Si modo]

Provide the link please.

Asperger syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It seems it would take a person with no empathy to execute six year olds

I agree and there are many people without Asperger's Syndrome who would fill that requirement.

And not all of those suffering from Asbergers lack empathy.

 

[Dreamy]

Asperger syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It seems it would take a person with no empathy to execute six year olds

I agree and there are many people without Asperger's Syndrome who would fill that requirement.

And not all of those suffering from Asbergers lack empathy.

Exactly. They do not all. My cousin is more kind and more concerned with the well-being of others than I am honestly. I can assure everyone here he is praying for these dear people and children in Newtown.

He has a job and has for years. He paints amazingly and plays music. He sells his art and his very large employer pays him to paint for them. He prays and is kind to people even when they are not always to him. He is gentle. He does zone in on certain topics and interests like art and music. He is well-liked at work and loves and is loved. When anyone in our family is sick or in need he asks about them and not just to make lip service. When people say "How are you?" it does not always mean they care. When he does, it most definitely means he cares how you are. He will forgive easily. He is inquisitive about certain topics and rarely notices other current events. He can't drive a car and his sense of direction is weak. He can operate a computer well but he prints far too many pieces of his artwork imo. lol His ink bill is huge.

My point in telling people some of these details is that there are real people behind these labels we slap on others. Real people who are complex and will not fit into some box the media may try to assign them.

 

[gwennie]

I agree and there are many people without Asperger's Syndrome who would fill that requirement.

True

But the thread is about did Aspergers syndrome contribute to the crime? Those with Aspergers have dificulty dealing with other people. The concept of "walk a mile in their shoes" is foreign to them. A person entirely without empathy is capable of executing six year olds.
I'm sure that like most mental illness, there are degrees of affliction. I just think that in this case Aspergers may have been compounded by other mental issues

I have direct experience with several people with Aspergers and I see no evidence first hand or medically provided by the professionals that their condition would indicate a propensity for violence. Other medical conditions perhaps but not this one.

If anyone wants to show credible evidence that people with Aspergers are noted for being violent toward others please do.

Same here.....and this is exactly why I've been saying that Asperger's syndrome has nothing to do with what this kid did.

 

[Si modo]

True

But the thread is about did Aspergers syndrome contribute to the crime? Those with Aspergers have dificulty dealing with other people. The concept of "walk a mile in their shoes" is foreign to them. A person entirely without empathy is capable of executing six year olds.
I'm sure that like most mental illness, there are degrees of affliction. I just think that in this case Aspergers may have been compounded by other mental issues

I have direct experience with several people with Aspergers and I see no evidence first hand or medically provided by the professionals that their condition would indicate a propensity for violence. Other medical conditions perhaps but not this one.

If anyone wants to show credible evidence that people with Aspergers are noted for being violent toward others please do.

Same here.....and this is exactly why I've been saying that Asperger's syndrome has nothing to do with what this kid did.

We should lock every single on of these persons up....for the children.

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

 

[squeeze berry]

I'm skeptical of the list of famous people with AS i.e the comedians and humorists.

Autistic people have little if any sense of humor and everything is literal to them.

Autism has no known origin, treatment, or strict set of symptoms. Those with autism do not suffer from the disorder as much as those around them.

OTOH

I can assure you that the disorder is real. What to do about it is another story.
Schools are trying desperately to cope with students with the disorder without a great amount of success. Children do progress as they mature, but can be quite disruptive and even violent at times especially when they do not get their way or when something unexpected happens that keeps them from getting their way or a change in their routine.

They do feel they are being treated unfairly on a reglar basis and little can be done to convince them otherwise. They are in their own world and will stay there and come out if and when they please.

Right now we do not have enough information on Adam to make sound judgement. We may never.

 

[Si modo]

I'm skeptical of the list of famous people with AS i.e the comedians and humorists.

Autistic people have little if any sense of humor and everything is literal to them.

Autism has no known origin, treatment, or strict set of symptoms. Those with autism do not suffer from the disorder as much as those around them.

OTOH

I can assure you that the disorder is real. What to do about it is another story.
Schools are trying desperately to cope with students with the disorder without a great amount of success. Children do progress as they mature, but can be quite disruptive and even violent at times especially when they do not get their way or when something unexpected happens that keeps them from getting their way or a change in their routine.

They do feel they are being treated unfairly on a reglar basis and little can be done to convince them otherwise. They are in their own world and will stay there and come out if and when they please.

Right now we do not have enough information on Adam to make sound judgement. We may never.

My stepson to be has a fabulous sense of humor. He also is quite active in high school drama playing lead roles in both plays and musicals. He was involved in LL baseball until he aged out and now he is on the crew team. He is an AB honor student. Most would never even notice he has Asbergers.

 

[Dreamy]

I'm skeptical of the list of famous people with AS i.e the comedians and humorists.

Autistic people have little if any sense of humor and everything is literal to them.

Autism has no known origin, treatment, or strict set of symptoms. Those with autism do not suffer from the disorder as much as those around them.

OTOH

I can assure you that the disorder is real. What to do about it is another story.
Schools are trying desperately to cope with students with the disorder without a great amount of success. Children do progress as they mature, but can be quite disruptive and even violent at times especially when they do not get their way or when something unexpected happens that keeps them from getting their way or a change in their routine.

They do feel they are being treated unfairly on a reglar basis and little can be done to convince them otherwise. They are in their own world and will stay there and come out if and when they please.

Right now we do not have enough information on Adam to make sound judgement. We may never.

Autistic people have little if any sense of humor and everything is literal to them.

My experience around people with Asperger's indicates the same. Probably one of the harder aspects of socializing for them and for us. My aunt gets lots of credit from me for doing some amazing parenting with my cousin. Not always easy but he is an amazing productive adult today. He will even crack a joke now and then and is so proud when he does.

 

[gwennie]

I'm skeptical of the list of famous people with AS i.e the comedians and humorists.

Autistic people have little if any sense of humor and everything is literal to them.

Autism has no known origin, treatment, or strict set of symptoms. Those with autism do not suffer from the disorder as much as those around them.

OTOH

I can assure you that the disorder is real. What to do about it is another story.
Schools are trying desperately to cope with students with the disorder without a great amount of success. Children do progress as they mature, but can be quite disruptive and even violent at times especially when they do not get their way or when something unexpected happens that keeps them from getting their way or a change in their routine.

They do feel they are being treated unfairly on a reglar basis and little can be done to convince them otherwise. They are in their own world and will stay there and come out if and when they please.

Right now we do not have enough information on Adam to make sound judgement. We may never.

True that those with autistic spectrum conditions tend be very literal, black-and-white thinkers with little to no sense of humor. And they can often perceive that others are treating them badly, even when that's not the case....but that has to do with their inability to see anything from anyone else's perspective but their own. When routines get disrupted, it can throw them into a tailspin...at times with physical aggression (hitting self or others), but mostly just yelling and crying. There are clear symptoms present, though, for this condition and are often present at an early age. High IQs are not uncommon. And treatment is available to help manage symptoms, but nothing that cures the condition. But, again, Asperger's did not create or cause him to go out and kill people. There was something else going on.

 

[Dreamy]

I'm skeptical of the list of famous people with AS i.e the comedians and humorists.

Autistic people have little if any sense of humor and everything is literal to them.

Autism has no known origin, treatment, or strict set of symptoms. Those with autism do not suffer from the disorder as much as those around them.

OTOH

I can assure you that the disorder is real. What to do about it is another story.
Schools are trying desperately to cope with students with the disorder without a great amount of success. Children do progress as they mature, but can be quite disruptive and even violent at times especially when they do not get their way or when something unexpected happens that keeps them from getting their way or a change in their routine.

They do feel they are being treated unfairly on a reglar basis and little can be done to convince them otherwise. They are in their own world and will stay there and come out if and when they please.

Right now we do not have enough information on Adam to make sound judgement. We may never.

My stepson to be has a fabulous sense of humor. He also is quite active in high school drama playing lead roles in both plays and musicals. He was involved in LL baseball until he aged out and now he is on the crew team. He is an AB honor student. Most would never even notice he has Asbergers.

Thanks everyone who has dealt first hand for sharing some of your experiences. I think it is important people see what some of us know personally.

 

[turzovka]

It's not what the media focuses on that is the problem, it is what they will not consider.

God is a four letter word these days, we all know that, and subject to ridicule. But should we believe all the surveys that say around 75% of Americans call themselves Christian? Then I ask that 75% what part of God's Word do you not believe when He speaks of the evil one? How can one call themself a Christian and then call God a liar?

To rephrase it then: If one does believe the devil and his influence exists, what better example than what happened in Newton? It's a major leap of anger, hate, or an abolishment of conscience to go from someone "troubled in their mind" to committing unspeakable acts of evil.