Asperger's not likely to make people violent, experts emphasize

There has been much speculation surrounding Adam Lanza, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooter who killed his mother, 20 children and six adults before taking his own life last Friday.

As people wonder what might have caused Lanza to commit such a horrendous crime, many are saying that mental illness may be at the root of the situation. Family friends Mark and Louise Tambascio told CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley on Sunday's 60 Minutes that Adam's mother, Nancy Lanza, had told them that her son suffered from Asperger's syndrome, and it was a full-time obligation to take care of him.

Experts however are cautioning that much misinformation is being spread about this form of autism in light of the link to Lanza, emphasizing that having Asperger's does not make an individual any more dangerous.

"One of the potential tragedies to an already tremendous tragedy is that this could do significant harm to a population that doesn't deserve the wrath of the population," Peter Bell, executive vice president for programs and services at Autism Speaks, warned CBSNews.com.

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Asperger's syndrome is a type of autism spectrum disorder. The disorder was first diagnosed in 1944 by an Austrian pediatrician named Hans Asperger, who had four children in his practice who had difficulty socializing. Typical characteristics of all people with autism include deficits in socializing with others, deficits in communications and restrictive or repetitive disorders. People with Asperger's typically have social problems, but have no difficulties communicating with others.

"People with Asperger's have to have normal if not above normal intelligence. Their speech and communication is intact," Bell explained.

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Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, an assistant clinical professor at UCLA who specializes in autism research, told CBSNews.com, added that people with Asperger's don't have traditional social skills, which makes it hard for them to have friends, hold reciprocal conversations or pick up social cues. As a result, they tend to be socially isolated and may choose to withdraw or be socially ostracized and be bullied or teased by their peers.

However, because they have a hard time socializing, people with Asperger's tend to be more rule-driven, according to Laugeson, who has no involvement in Lanza's diagnosis or case.

"The vast majority of people with Asperger's are law-abiding citizens that don't act violently against others," she said. "I think it would be sad to vilify a community because of the action of one person who hasn't been confirmed to have the diagnosis."

According to the National Institutes of Health, Asperger's is not normally diagnosed until the age of 5 or 6 -- compared to other autism disorders, which are normally detected by 2 -- because children with the disorder are more able to converse normally. While autism spectrum disorders affect about 1 in 88 children, Asperger's rates are much lower, ranging from WebMD's reported estimate of 2 to 6 affected persons for every 1,000 people to a 2003 report in Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America which put numbers at 0.03 to 4.84 per 1,000 people. However, Laugeson said that Aspeger's is the fastest growing developmental disability in terms of prevalence, with more people being diagnosed now with Asperger disorder or high functioning autism than ever before.

There is no known cause for Asperger's or any autism spectrum disorder, with research examining genetic and environmental risk factors.

The diagnosis of Asperger's will be removed in the next edition of the psychiatric disorders manual, the DSM-V, which will be published in May or June 2013. Asperger's will be included in a broader Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) category "to help more accurately and consistently diagnose children with autism," the American Psychiatric Association said recently. Currently, it is difficult to distinguish between Asperger's and highly functioning autistic individuals, making some psychologists believe that the broader diagnostic term may be better.

While people with autism disorders have been known to be slower to cool off when they are angry or may be more likely to yell or react in an angry outburst, the episodes are normally associated with difficulties communicating.

"There's no research to show that people with Asperger's are more prone to act violently," Laugeson said. "We do know that people with Asperger's have a lower threshold for handling frustrations, but there's no research connecting premeditated acts or plans of violence."

It's important to emphasize that their anger makes them more frustrated, but not more likely to commit crimes, Bell added.

"There is essentially no research that has linked autism or Asperger's to violence," he emphasized. "People with autism or Asperger's are no more inclined to commit crimes of violence like what took place in Connecticut last week."

Bell said with treatment -- which can rage from social skills training to prescribing medication to treat other problems connected with the disorder including OCD, anxiety and depression -- most people with Asperger's can function normally in society.

"I think that one thing that is very important is we have to recognize the strengths and abilities and talents of people who have Asperger's," he said. "Some of the challenges are finding people who are willing to give them the chance to employ them or have neighbors to live near them."

Laugeson speculated it's more likely some other mental health condition could better explain last Friday's violent actions.

"It's highly unlikely Asperger's alone would explain these violent acts," she said.

[Lord_Mungermutt]

While not the most eloquently constructed posting I've read in recent days, there are some good points in the commentary from 'Oceanliner' above that should be taken to heart by folks trying to understand a small portion of the more difficult aspects of modern life people with Asperger's (like myself) often need to face (i.e., sensory stimulation and withdrawal)on a daily basis.

Sensory (over-)stimulation is a huge contributor to some of our perceived 'odd' behavior. Our brains are wired a bit differently than so-called neurotypicals...to relay this in a simpler form of language that the majority of social media posters can understand, the region of the brain that controls the 'fight - or -flight' response in the Asperger brain is rather hypersensitive in comparison to those that don't experience Asperger's. More specifically, factors such as constant noise, excessive talking, myriad smells, etc., trigger the sort of stressors and anxiety that simply don't impact neurotypicals in the same fashion. You can, of course, lump social situations into the list of things that trigger unwanted stress and anxiety, as well. That being said, it is a natural human reaction to seek sanctuary from those things that trigger our physical senses in negative and uncomfortable ways, is it not? Retreating to a safe, comfortable place to re-charge from this sort of over-stimulation is a perfectly reasonable approach to pacifying one's frazzled nerves. Don't NTs exhibit the same behavior when faced with stressors of their own? Don't NTs need time for unwinding, too? We (AS individuals) just happen to be triggered by different things from NTs, and perhaps need longer periods of recovery...is this such a difficult concept to understand?

[Larnan5]

This speculation is causing a very serious problem.
As a grandfather of a child with autism is is essential that every organization connected with this problem immediately start at campaign to debunk the myths that autism is connected with violent behavior. The internet,newspapers, tabloids and TV are zeroing in on this possibility. It must be stopped or all the autistic and Asperger kids will be stigmatized for life. This is a horrendous tragedy. The deaths of these children and teachers is the worst thing anyone could suffer. The world mourns.Let's not scapegoat an innocent group of children with the reams of misinformation now being written.

[lloydbest1]

I scrolled through the posts and was struck by the fear. There are those who mistake PDD type stuff with more sinister afflictions such as psycopathic and sociopathic disorders. Arwen777 is one such. His (her?) problematic neighbor is more likely to be some sort of schizophrenic or suffers from some other kind of neurosis but the description of the ex-neighbor does not ring like Asperger's.
And I should know.
I was diagnosed with classical Autism in 1951 and while I can't speak from any memory of my struggle with it prior to about 1963 or 4, there were plenty of my antecedents who swore the diagnosis was dead on. O.K, Autism isn't quite like Asperger's and there are some who don't believe they stem from the same causes. That's to say Asperger's is not merely "Autism-lite" but is a seperate and distinct condition that happen to share difficulty in communication and social development in those who suffer from it. I don't happen to agree with that and "suffer" is a rather poor word choice. I can use it, though, and my example because while I didn't suffer much when I was young, I certainly did when I became an adult - and my parents suffered throughout.
Because of my experience I can make some general observations and, I hope, ease the angst of those who know little other than the revelation that Adam Lanza may have has Asperger's. This is not exhaustive and there are always one or two exceptions but these generalizations are valid:

We aren't very good at socalizing. Nor do we read expressions particularly well. We, or at least I, have a great deal of trouble figuring out what a person might feel or think from facial expressions or body language. If I had a nickel for every time I was accused of cluelessness, I could buy out Carlos Slim.
Our range of interests are apt to be somewhat to very narrow. The anecdotes about some of us being able to memorize airline schedules and railway timetables while being unable to effectively tie shoes have a ring of truth. While in college, I seldom got a "B" or "C" but got a truck load of "A's" and "F's"; a reflection of my efforts in things I flat wasn't interested in pursuing, and of things I was fascinated by.
Unfortunately, we also tend to be self absorbed and view the world in terms of ourselves. For example, we often have difficulty imagining someone else may have a different view of reality from us. As you can imagine, this can cause a lot of friction between us and the neurotypicals.
For many (tho' not all) of us and especially those who were (or still are) "low-functioning" Autistic, as I was in my early years, our condition is often accompanied by a whole DSM-IV manual's worth of other problems. Things like cognitive impairment (or, to be politically incorrect, some form of mental retardation), poor motor skills, seizures, tics & tremors, odd and GENERALLY harmless behaviors referred to as "stereotypical" often come bundled in the package.
Dealing with frustation is not a strong suit. I couldn't count the number of times I flat busted a toy that didn't do what I though it should. Most of us grow out of that but there is still a certain edginess among us when things do not go the way we think they ought to.
Here, I can only speak for myself, but I can NOT tolerate crowds, I am most uncomfortable in large groups - even among people I know well. The excess stimulation from such environments has the effect of making me want to flee screaming. This is not strictly an Autistic trait but my sense is that it is common among us.
But what we do NOT do is engage in mass violence. We do not plan assaults on elementary schools, shopping malls, churches, movie theaters or the like. If we do engage in violent behavior, it is usually an inanimate object that's the victim. And if it is people, then it's onsies or twosies at the most; not scads.......and generally no guns are involved.

The only commonality PDD (Autism, Asperger's and related) has with the other two I mentioned in the first paragraph is that they are disorders. And even at that, it's difficult for me to see how someone like Bill Gates, Temple Grandin or Thomas Edison - all of whom were (or are) some degree of Autistic - can be said to be "disordered".

[Wookiee-1138]

I think I speak for all my fellow aspies when I say the world needs more Glenn Goulds, Kurt Godels, Mozarts, Nikola Teslas and even Bobby Fischers and FAR fewer ******* jocks and homecoming kings.

[GossamerWings]

Not the time for this comment. Twenty children just died. Try to have a little empathy for what just happened. Personally, I wish the 27 people didn't die.

[lillyhorton]

My son has aspergers and when he gets angry it is toward the person who he associates with those feelings. I don't imagin that Adam even knew those children.

[Arwen777]

I had a neighbor who had aspergers. She was a teacher of elementary school children who had been laid off from work. Thank God for that.

Over time I found her to be violent, abusive, a thief and extremely aggressive. There is no way she should have ever been a teacher.

She live in Long Beach, California and is a menace. I had to move out of my apartment because of her.

She is just the kind of person who would get a gun and kill someone..she was that violent and out of control.

[lillyhorton]

You are absolutely right. They have to have control at all cost and when dealing with groups of people flexibility is a must. Stealing isn't part of aspergers. Some people in general do steal. You may have been abrupt with her. Your voice condenscending. It sounds more like you triggered any amount of what you refer to as abusive and violent behavior. Before you lable someone as the "kind of person" ask yourself what "kind of person" you are. You may be the kind of person who falsely judges others and lies about them to prove your point.

[AspieMomandDad]

As a family we are very saddened by the tragedy that occurred last week in the community of Sandy Hook. As all parents we feel very deeply about the safety and wellbeing of our children.
So, shame on 60 minutes for reporting that the person responsible for the Sandy Hook tragedy has Asperger's. This statement has lead thousands of people to believe that this condition and/or the medication caused this terrible tragedy.
Edward R. Murrow would be rolling in his grave. This was shoddy journalism (akin to yelling fire in a crowded theater), and these wonderful, interesting, sweet, sensitive, and caring children with Autism spectrum disorders deserve better than to be demonized.
Please tell me that this media outlet and others like it are going to reach out to the PROFESSIONALS and print a full story that tells the truth about Autism. In the wake of such a horrific tragedy, the sweet children with autisum should not suffer any consequences of the media mischaracterizing the condition.
60 minutes re-cap:
His mom, Nancy Lanza, told friends that her son was brilliant but disabled, that he had Asperger's Syndrome, which is characterized by repetitive behavior. Nancy, 52, devoted herself full-time to home-schooling her son. She also did charity work, and grew up enjoying shooting sports. She was the first victim of the murder weapon, an automatic weapon variation of the M16.
60 Minutes interviews Robert Fine and Bryan Vossekuil, who studied killers in prison. In terms of awfulness, this continuum lone attacker incident is out there. Before an attack, a shooter would practice beforehand. In many instances, the shooter would have told someone about his plan. These are extremely rare incidents. Schools have become safer over the years.


As a family we are very saddened by the tragedy that occurred last week in the community of Sandy Hook. As all parents we feel very deeply about the safety and wellbeing of our children.
So, shame on 60 minutes for reporting that the person responsible for the Sandy Hook tragedy has Asperger's. This statement has lead thousands of people to believe that this condition and/or the medication caused this terrible tragedy.
Edward R. Murrow would be rolling in his grave. This was shoddy journalism (akin to yelling fire in a crowded theater), and these wonderful, interesting, sweet, sensitive, and caring children with Autism spectrum disorders deserve better than to be demonized.
Please tell me that this media outlet and others like it are going to reach out to the PROFESSIONALS and print a full story that tells the truth about Autism. In the wake of such a horrific tragedy, the sweet children with autisum should not suffer any consequences of the media mischaracterizing the condition.

60 minutes re-cap:
His mom, Nancy Lanza, told friends that her son was brilliant but disabled, that he had Asperger's Syndrome, which is characterized by repetitive behavior. Nancy, 52, devoted herself full-time to home-schooling her son. She also did charity work, and grew up enjoying shooting sports. She was the first victim of the murder weapon, an automatic weapon variation of the M16.
60 Minutes interviews Robert Fine and Bryan Vossekuil, who studied killers in prison. In terms of awfulness, this continuum lone attacker incident is out there. Before an attack, a shooter would practice beforehand. In many instances, the shooter would have told someone about his plan. These are extremely rare incidents. Schools have become safer over the years.

[GossamerWings]

Oceanliner

Everyone including adults with Asperger's needs to demonstrate empathy to get through this painful event. What just happened is painful for every parent. I don't think more guns is the solution.

[Unclegator777]

It is no doubt true that MOST folks with Aspergers do not express violence towards others unless they sense being completely misunderstood, which signals a communication issue. However, Aspergers patients who reflect on some mistreatment or misunderstanding may well throw sudden angry fits for not being recognized by others as they wish to be. The difference in this case - Nancy Lanza had AMPLE personal and institutional resources to help her son and didn't. Instead, she allowed his playing of violent video games and brought him out to the shooting range as a 'hobby.' Now, for someone for whom other human beings (including his Mom) are more two-diminsional objects, to say nothing of not understanding his own emotions (if any), it was only a matter of time before he lost his composure. The object in shooter video games is to kill as many opponents as possible - that's exactly what Lanza sought to accomplish; a high kill rate based on something he DID understand. So yes, in some cases depending upon environment and rearing, there are CLEAR relationships of Asbergers to violence. Let's not sugarcoat this, alright?

There is a growing trend for parents to either refer to their child as having autism or Asperger's or seek a diagnosis for such because it is a much more socially acceptable label than emotionally disturbed, schizophrenic, etc. We see it all the time in the school system. Ultimately, it ends up being a disservice to the child because he/she doesn't really get the kind of help that they need.

[skeezix06]

Parents do not refer their child as having Autism, Asperger's or anything else. Parents take their child in to be tested by the experts. The parents do not get to pick the diagnosis or anything else in the process. The experts tell the parents what the diagnosis is.

[skeezix06]

You are completely and totally wrong. The experts run a bunch of tests and the experts choose the diagnosis, not the parents.

[nfission235]

Aspergers syndrome is not a violent disorder. Adam probably suffered from schizophrenia or personality disorders or perhaps he suffered from multiple disorders. It's possible to be both schizophrenic and bipolar.

[quidquo]

What I always find disturbing about the media reporting on mental illness is how poorly they do explaining the diagnostic process. It is structured, uniform and meticulous for a purpose. It must be understood by the general population that a professional must take into account four axes of diagnosis. Of these Axes, Aspergers is only one, Axis 1, Major mental illness and disorders typically diagnosed in childhood. A professional must also take into account secondary disorders, medical conditions, and an extremely important one in this case, presenting socialization and other system impacts. This is not even to mention that each diagnosis has secondary qualifiers that come into play as one deliniates criteria for a disorder.

As the article contends, a person who happens to have Aspergers or Autism Spectrum Disorder alone is typically non-violent. However, taking into account Axis IV here is more likely a factor that contributes to violence. This article did a good job of summarizing, but left out this very important piece. What a person who has a major mental illness does with their free time, who they are surrounded by, their social and criminal history, and any impact had by a school system or any kind of social institution has a tendency to affect their behavior more than any one particular Axis I or even Axis II diagnosis.

The bottom line is that diagnoses are complex; they are intended to be well thought out and provided only by trained professionals. The impact of violent behavior is resonant and felt by all of us, it should not be pinned to a disorder simply because the public, and rightly so, greatly desires an answer to an unconscionable act. If an answer is to be had, socialization and environmental factors would be more a place to look. Not to mention the ever present issue of gun control...about which I will not comment here. My heart goes out to anyone who has come into contact with these all too frequent mass killings. I hope we can find a solution one day.

[RCcheckitout]

Its like the media trying to explain there expert knowlege on guns and why we should have gun controll. They could not define a bullet from a cartage nor a military rifle from an simiautomatic fire arm. Millitary weapens are already governed by having to obtain a special liscence to own one. As for caliper of amunitions there are many others that are for hunting that can be just as fatal as a 223 or 9mm. For example 22 cal can be just as fatal if you know how to use them.You are right that mental disorders are hard to diagnose and can have multipal symptoms that can cause other disorders to become appearent.If the probelem is pushed under the rug for family embarasment it can esculate to a degree where the individual can act out on their impulses of rage. You may be farther along than I am. I have completed my 2nd year of phsycology. My heart also goes out to those families and the loss of their children.

[MomsHugs]

RCCHECKITOUT: If you truly are pursuing a degree in psychology, please learn to SPELL correctly! Your post is full of misspellings - not just a few typos.

[PourpaixPourpaix]

Kids with Asperger's Syndrome are similar to Rottweilers. Treat them right, and they're the sweetest folks on Earth. However, they do have a limited capability to interact with folks and understand what's happening socially. Universally abuse them, and they are unable to cope or understand.

If there is nobody in that child's life who will treat them like a human being, expect unpredictable results. Rag on the boy about how his father's a louse, take him out of school rather than working with the lad to teach him to better cope with the hoard of taunting idiots, and put guns in his hand while forcing him to realize there's a broad interpretation of self-defense ...... that's a wonderful prescription for violence when the boy becomes overwhelmed by unfathomable negative events.

[lillyhorton]

Well put. Guns wasn't a smart idea in a house where an individual struggles with issues of frustration. Isolation isn't the answer either it just cuts people off from others who could help. People with aspergers don't lash out on innocent people. People with aspergers only get "violent" in the moment of conflict not the moments after. Something more was wrong.

[garfieldjl]

You could be right about this, but then I would argue we're dealing with the kid being emotionally abused and/or brainwashed, which would have affected a kid regardless of whether or not they were on the spectrum...

As far as people on the spectrum owning guns, there are quite a few people on the spectrum that own firearms. While they would shoot someone breaking into their house, they wouldn't go on a shooting rampage targetting a bunch of innocent people, let alone children.