The media continually reports that the shooter in Newtown had Asperger's syndrome, an Autism Spectrum Disorder. As a result, people lacking knowledge about the disorders link autism with mental illness and mass violence.
Dr. Ami Klin, an expert on autism at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, said that any tie between the Newtown shootings and Asperger’s or autism “is an enormous disservice” to those whose lives are affected by these developmental disorders, which should not be confused with mental illness. In fact, he said, those with Asperger's "are much more likely to be victims rather than victimizers."
Autism and Asperger's are developmental disorders, not mental illnesses; and there is NO connection between them and violent behavior.