"He had Asperger's"

I stated hearing that phrase soon after the confirmed body count of the CT school shooting. I pushed it away because it didn't matter at the time. It's just a fact about the shooter. I've heard it 30 times just this morning watching GMA. An already misunderstood cluster of issues associated w/ Autism, Asperger's now is taking on a new tone. Recently dropped from the DSM 5 (Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) by the American Psychiatric Association's (APA), it's more confusing than ever to know what it is.

My son likes guns. He can look at a gun from 10 feet away & tell you what it is, where it was made, how it was made & anything else you'd like to know. His favorite subject in school is History. Where his vast knowledge of tanks, war, generals & countries helps him earn an A in that class. As avid hunters our family has taught every child in the family how to treat guns. Reid treats all guns with respect. Pointed down at all times, safety on. Asperger's does NOT make him more likely to use a gun to injure anyone. In fact it makes him more likely to talk your ear off for an hour about why a certain spring could cause an issue with...blah, blah, blah. Asperger's creates a narrow field of interest for Aspie's. It was golf when he was younger. and to a certain point, still is. But history is where his heart lies. Guns are a huge part of history. I've tried to steer him away from it. Mostly because of tragic things like Columbine & now CT. But why should I? Reid's dream is to work for the FBI & put away anyone that would use a gun to harm someone else. Typical of Aspie's he thinks he should start now, learn everything. And so he has. His concrete mind sees laws as black & white. He reminds me all the time"The speed limit is 65, not 67. You're going to get a ticket. You're breaking the law."

Now to address the violence issue. Reid is a big child. He might look intimidating if you don't know him. But when you do, you would know his odd gait & weak upper body make it easy to push him down. When wrestling his friends do this over & over again while he laughs. 2 years ago while riding the bus home 4 boys started picking on Reid. Literally unable to fight back, A- because he cannot fight; B- because fighting is against the rules,  he sat there while he was punched, hit in the face & even spit on. Violent? The very next day he instantly forgave all the boys & has even forgotten about it. I haven't.

Asperger's does not equal violent. It is not a mental disorder, it's actually a neurobiological disorder. There is no fix for it. No medication. There are classes & therapy. Certain meds can help w/ common issues, like anxiety. But there is no cure for Asperger's. I've seen a lot of bantering about Asperger's in the last 3 days. More than ever. I pray that people educate themselves. I pray that my son doesn't hear "Psycho, mental illness, crazy" & think that you are talking about him. I pray that you talk to your children about it & teach them that Asperger's is not bad. He's already seen a few things & came to me confused. "Do people think I could do that? Just because I have Asperger's?" The same boy that sat by his younger brother's bed this summer, not leaving, crying, praying. Begging God to let him take Rowan's place. "I hope not.' was all I could say.

Here are a few places to look for quick explanations about Asperger's:

http://www.aspergersyndrome.org/
http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/asperger-syndrome
http://www.aspennj.org/aspergers-syndrome.asp
http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/asperger.html