Why the media focus on Asperger's Syndrome?

[oldernwiser]

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.

Spot ON! I love that saying.

I coached soccer for kids with developmental disorders of all kinds for a few years, and my own step-son is either PDD, high functioning autistic, or has Apserger's Syndrome as well (I never could quite grasp the distinction except that certain services are allowed for one and not the other). In all my time with these kids, there were never 2 alike. Some autistics have a problem with eye contact, some don't. Some have sensory issues like scratchy clothes or loud noises or bright lights, but not all. Some could speak, some couldn't, some just wouldn't... the differences are so vast it's impossible to label any of them. IMO, the media is just plain wrong for even making the attempt.

 

[Si modo]

I doubt that the kids aspergers had much to do with his state of mind. I'd suggest that being home schooled, and learning your values from a paranoid gun nut would have much more to do with ones world view.

I don't know if his mother was a "gun nut" (whatever that is) but I did hear a report on CBS that she had difficulty bonding with him so she took up shooting and found that was something he enjoyed doing with her.

But, the news gets things wrong, as we all know.

Who knows? Maybe when the perp went to school there he was mercilessly bullied and had planned to take revenge when an opportunity arose.

Dunno, except that he was one serious freak who has a special place in hell.

 

[wavingrl]

I doubt that the kids aspergers had much to do with his state of mind. I'd suggest that being home schooled, and learning your values from a paranoid gun nut would have much more to do with ones world view.

I don't know if his mother was a "gun nut" (whatever that is) but I did hear a report on CBS that she had difficulty bonding with him so she took up shooting and found that was something he enjoyed doing with her.

But, the news gets things wrong, as we all know.

Who knows? Maybe when the perp went to school there he was mercilessly bullied and had planned to take revenge when an opportunity arose.

Dunno, except that he was one serious freak who has a special place in hell.

A student that attended high school with him said that he wasn't bullied but clearly had issues with interacting with others--difficult for him to answer questions in class, etc. She also said that community was exceptionally tolerant or supportive--and that seems to be true. According to the wikipedia segment --this is a small town of about 27,000 with only one high school. 60 miles from NYC. Well-educated community.

According to one source mass murderers might be classified in 3 groups--1)traumatic experiences prior to the event, 2) psychotic and 3)psychopaths.

 

[Si modo]

I doubt that the kids aspergers had much to do with his state of mind. I'd suggest that being home schooled, and learning your values from a paranoid gun nut would have much more to do with ones world view.

I don't know if his mother was a "gun nut" (whatever that is) but I did hear a report on CBS that she had difficulty bonding with him so she took up shooting and found that was something he enjoyed doing with her.

But, the news gets things wrong, as we all know.

Who knows? Maybe when the perp went to school there he was mercilessly bullied and had planned to take revenge when an opportunity arose.

Dunno, except that he was one serious freak who has a special place in hell.

A student that attended high school with him said that he wasn't bullied but clearly had issues with interacting with others--difficult for him to answer questions in class, etc. She also said that community was exceptionally tolerant or supportive--and that seems to be true. According to the wikipedia segment --this is a small town of about 27,000 with only one high school. 60 miles from NYC. Well-educated community.

According to one source mass murderers might be classified in 3 groups--1)traumatic experiences prior to the event, 2) psychotic and 3)psychopaths.

Thanks.

I also find it quite interesting that he made a point of trying to destroy his computer right before he committed evil.

 

[wavingrl]

Dunno, except that he was one serious freak who has a special place in hell.

A student that attended high school with him said that he wasn't bullied but clearly had issues with interacting with others--difficult for him to answer questions in class, etc. She also said that community was exceptionally tolerant or supportive--and that seems to be true. According to the wikipedia segment --this is a small town of about 27,000 with only one high school. 60 miles from NYC. Well-educated community.

According to one source mass murderers might be classified in 3 groups--1)traumatic experiences prior to the event, 2) psychotic and 3)psychopaths.

Thanks.

I also find it quite interesting that he made a point of trying to destroy his computer right before he committed evil.

According to LE he wasn't successful and even if he had succeeded they said their experts can retrieve almost everything. The data is stored on a 'cloud' in cyberspace, on the individual computer and on receiving computers.

eh--They need documentation and good to know they can find what they need.

The CO shooter left detailed records which may be of use in studying this type of twisted mind.

I just don't know what can actually be done to address this form of mental illness. Maybe great strides have been made ???---not that many mass murderers.

I have tried to understand the scope of this complex problem and I just have to stop. Others have also noted that this sort of thing became more common in the past 20 years. ???We have more people---statistically it is possible that the chances of severe mental illness increase with the size of the population. I suspect it is some complex combination of cultural factors. ???