PITTSBURGH, April 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AutismLink and Autism Center of Pittsburgh Director Cindy Waeltermann today issued a statement regarding the recent revelation that Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung-Hui was diagnosed with autism as a child.
    "While the entire autism community in Pittsburgh and across the nation
are devastated by the recent events at Virginia Tech, we would like to
caution the public not to stigmatize children or individuals with autism.
Cho likely did not receive the help and support that he needed early on --
that is why early intervention is so important, and that is why places like
the Autism Center of Pittsburgh exist. The act of one individual should not reflect upon the entire autistic population.
   It is unfair to blame Cho's actions on autism when he was clearly
psychologically impaired and likely had another disorder in addition to his
autism. His psychological evaluations apparently revealed a dark history that concluded that he was an imminent danger to himself and others and was also depressed.
    This is a wake up call that stresses the importance of early
intervention, research, and appropriate treatment strategies. Many strides
have been made in autism spectrum disorders and research has consistently  shown that when children receive the help that they need early on they are  more likely to become more adept at social and communication skills.
    Autism affects 1 in 150 children and is now the most commonly diagnosed evelopmental disability in the world. It is time to recognize autism for the epidemic it is."

*sigh*

Sorry that copy-and-paste article came out so weirdly formatted

BUT... here's what another expert said:

Schizophrenia, which affects a half-percent of the U.S. population, is a mental illness that can be difficult to diagnose at its onset, Ochberg said. Those grappling with the early stages may become defensive as they recognize their own mental faculties are failing.

"Along the way it blunts your instinct for social behavior so you look a little like an autistic or Asperger's person," he said.

There's nothing I've read yet that sounds remotely conclusive on Cho vis-a-vis Asperger's or Autism. Killing 32 people sounds a hell of a lot more like Schizophrenia...

Just the fact that they mention autism in connection with Cho is bad enough. Bear, as you said in the other thread people will just put the two things togther.

That's not good at all, as the majority of people will now think autistic kids have the potential to be murderers.

CNN is talking to a forensic psychiatrist who just said Cho was classic paranoid psychotic. She is completely dismissing all other sensationalized theories. NO, this is not a 'copy cat" killing. NO, this is not a result of the years of teasing and bullying. She made absolutely no reference to anything in the Autistic Spectrum.

She's really fascinating. She talks about the "You made me do this" that Cho repeated so many times -- all the references to "YOU" ... she says that the "you" is called a "paranoid pseudo-community" that psychotic paranoids create in their minds -- it consists, she says, of every person who ever teased or ridiculed him, plus everyone he IMAGINED ever teased him. It's the classic "You're all against me!" thing.


This makes me wonder why AutismLink and Autism Center of Pittsburgh is so quick to jump out in front and label Cho AS... are they just using him to promote  "intervention" (CURE! CURE! CURE!)?

Hello,

Wow, this worries me profusely on several levels. First of, alleging that Cho had autism is bad enough. Secondly, implying that without early intervention autistic children can turn into a person like Cho is horrifying to me. Also, I can not fathom that they would use such a horrible incident to trumpet their cause.

Will

Oh, ooop ooh here we go again.  ALWAYS blame the Autistic people!  Why they're at it, they can blame us for Columbine and Waco, too.  This makes me mad.

I heard a expert say Schizophrenia a expert say Bi Polar and a expert say Autism so what is it? Sucks either way because not everyone is like him but the normal public does not think like that.

The bipolar label always gets thrown around, but I've read and heard nothing in the guy's history to suggest a pattern of manic episodes.

I can see why they might think schizophrenia, since he's at the age Schizophrenia tends to emerge, and early stages of schizophrenia often feature flat affect and social withdrawal (which resembles AS) and Schizophrenia can bring on the kind of psychotic break we just saw.

None of these conditions preclude the others. But I agree the principle features are of paranoid psychosis. I mean, it's pretty clear:

Paranoid psychosis : psychotic behavior accompanied by persecutory or grandiose delusions with few other signs of personality or thought disturbance.

Paranoid Personality Disorder
American Description
Diagnostic Criteria

   1. A pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by four (or more) of the following:
         1. suspects, without sufficient basis, that others are exploiting, harming, or deceiving him or her
         2. is preoccupied with unjustified doubts about the loyalty or trustworthiness of friends or associates
         3. is reluctant to confide in others because of unwarranted fear that the information will be used maliciously against him or her
         4. reads hidden demeaning or threatening meanings into benign remarks or events
         5. persistently bears grudges, i.e., is unforgiving of insults, injuries, or slights
         6. perceives attacks on his or her character or reputation that are not apparent to others and is quick to react angrily or to counterattack
         7. has recurrent suspicions, without justification, regarding fidelity of spouse or sexual partner
  
2. Does not occur exclusively during the course of Schizophrenia, a Mood Disorder With Psychotic Features, or another Psychotic Disorder and is not due to the direct physiological effects of a general medical condition.

Yikes... grab your torch and pitch fork... I am SO not getting a diagnosis...

all of a sudden willful under-achiever doesn't sound so bad.

I think it is quite apparent that Cho does not have any autism at all, as they don't have the mindset to go on a murdering spree, to make a video tape proclaiming why they are doing it, to actually stalk people, to take pictures and plan it, and then refer to it as Jesus' work. That is a classic schizophrenic dementia case, and not for one second will I believe that he's autistic because of something his "aunt" said who doesn't even speak English, and who most likely doesn't even know what autism is and was just told to say that.

"Cho likely did not receive the help and support that he needed early on --
that is why early intervention is so important, and that is why places like
the Autism Center of Pittsburgh exist. "

*Have no idea*

I don't think it was the lack of early intervention, I think it was because of really BAD environments somehow. Not necessarily poor, not necessarily bullied or abused, just nowhere to go.

Or.. maybe he was such a philosopher and didn't learn much of life's strategy, which I think could result in just about anything.