In recent days, a troubling question has emerged from the tragic
shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. Did
autism play any role in this tragedy? On Friday, December 15,
2012, Adam Lanza entered Sandy Hook Elementary School and shot
28 individuals. Twenty-six died, including 20 children and 6
adults. Two adults suffered injuries. Then, Lanza turned the gun
on himself. Police later found that he had shot his mother dead
before driving to the school. Why is autism such a question in
this situation? Adam Lanza had a diagnosis of Asperger’s
syndrome which is an autism spectrum disorder. Some people have
linked this autism diagnosis with the violence he perpetrated
against his mother and the school. But, is this a fair
statement? Looking at a list of symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome
offered by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and
Stroke at their website, violent behavior is not a known sign of
this disorder. Experts say that those who have this disorder are
more likely to be victi