Autism Society asking America to stop connecting Autism to Connecticut shooting

The Autism Society is asking Americans to stop connecting Autism to the Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting. 

In a press release Wednesday, the Society said in the Nation's rush to understand the reasoning for the shooting, the conversation evolved to include the shooter's possible autism diagnosis.

The Society also said it feels it is imperative to remove autism from this tragic story. "Race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation are seldom, if ever, linked to the actions of an individual in a casual relationship. It is imperative that developmental disorders and disabilities be treated in the same vein," the press release said.

"Further, the Autism Society is committed to informing, educating and securing appropriate services by providing reliable and unbiased information. To that end, we are compelled to dispel any myths about individuals with autism:

• No evidence exists to link autism and premeditated violence. Suggesting otherwise is wrong and harmful to the more than 1.5 million individuals living with autism in the United States.¹
• Individuals with autism and those with other disabilities are more likely to be victims of violence than the perpetrators.²
• Many of the individuals with Asperger’s syndrome who have committed crimes had co-existing psychiatric disorders.³
• Individuals with autism who act aggressively typically do so because they are reacting to a situation.

The Society asks individuals not to judge anyone with autism based on Friday's event, but to educate and inform communities.