I take the liberty of sharing my observations about autistic people. This is irrespective of my education. It reflects over twenty-five years of living in a world knowledgeable of the face of autism but totally ignorant of the thought process of autism.
The recent school attack in Florida by a believed autistic person brought several observations. First, he killed people he didn’t even know. Second, how could he be considered normal enough to buy a gun? Third, how could parent’s living with an autistic person allow him to own a gun? Many other questions arise but the core misunderstanding is “how does an autistic person really think?”
Not all autistic persons are the same but the fundamental core of autism is anti-social thinking and behavior. We see the behavior but not the thinking. For example, an autistic person may think the school has kicked him out, and destroyed his opportunity to make some connection in society. So when he is in this desperate state he might seek retaliation.
Possessing a gun to strike back and shooting any person at the school might have been seen by the autistic person as “All people in the school are my enemies.” Day after day he may have considered the school as the source of his horrible life of isolation, disrespect and social belittlement. Their thinking of retaliation maybe withheld days, months or years and be hidden by medical remedies or natural submission.
The “Thinking of an autistic person,” varies greatly in the “Spectrum,” However, his key target is a world that doesn’t see him hurting, doesn’t seem to care about him hurting and worst yet, is judgemental of his appearance, demeanor and communication skills. Let’s be compassionate before the next time bomb goes off!!!
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