Finding Ninee » Sharing our parenting and special needs stories with heart and humor.

I couldn’t have said it better. Autism is not a mental illness.

This morning, when I heard the word “autism” uttered in relation to the murderer responsible for killing 20 six and seven year old children in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, my heart dropped.  If this guy had autism, it most certainly is not why he did what he did.  It MAY be a detail about him but so might a thousand other things.  My guess is that he was a sadistic sociopath.

Telling us he had autism is just filling up the in-between pauses in your news coverage. Why don’t you tell us what his hair color is?  Because that’s about as likely to be a contributing factor in going on a killing rampage as autism is.

Because what I’d like to convey has already been written really well by ProfMomEsq, I ask that you visit this post.

Ok, so not everything.  I’d like to clear something else up.  People with autism DO experience emotions and empathy for others.  Thinking otherwise is ignorant.


by Kristi Campbell

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  • Debbie McCormick - I noticed that mentioned in the news also and felt it was odd to imply that it could have somehow been the issue. That was so unfair for them to do that. Even though I do not have a child living with autism, the children I have met with autism are some of the sweetness, gentle natured children I have ever seen. I agree with you, he was messed up but autism should not even be a thought in all this.December 15, 2012 – 8:28 pmReplyCancel

    • admin - What gets me is that even if he did have autism, which it sounds like he did (Aspergers’s syndrome), that doesn’t make him violent in itself. Them insinuating that autism is the cause is just irresponsible reporting and not fair to everybody who has autism. They struggle with enough obstacles without people worrying whether they’re violent. I hope that as the picture shapes further in the coming weeks that reporters will talk about his mental illness and violent tendencies and not imply that autism has anything to do with it. Thanks so much for the comment!December 17, 2012 – 5:36 pmReplyCancel

  • mdbc77 - i haven’t been watching much news coverage, have mostly been keeping up with the events on the web, so i hadn’t heard any mention of autism until i read the link on your facebook the other day.December 17, 2012 – 11:09 amReplyCancel

    • admin - Sounds like he did have Aspergers – which fine, report that. But also talk about his other issues instead of making it sound like everybody with Aspergers is emotionally removed and doesn’t respect life. Because that’s just not true. Thanks for the comment!December 17, 2012 – 5:37 pmReplyCancel

  • MomboMombo - it was his hair… uff daDecember 18, 2012 – 5:41 amReplyCancel

  • ProfMomEsq - Just a quick comment to say thank you so much for sharing my post and leading me to your blog. So many people within and outside the ASD community are having this very important discussion now, and I’m grateful that you’re spreading the word. 😉December 19, 2012 – 12:38 amReplyCancel

    • admin - Hi, no problem. I was glad to share your blog. I wanted to write something similar but frankly wasn’t prepared to deal with so many of the comments that you’ve handled perfectly. So thank YOU for writing such a great and compelling post.December 19, 2012 – 10:57 amReplyCancel

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