Actually, No, Elliot Rodger Was Never Diagnosed With Autism
Since last Friday’s murderous rampage at UCSB, it has been widely reported that mass murderer Elliot Rodger had an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) formerly known as Asperger’s Syndrome, and some of that reporting has falsely suggested a link between autism and criminal violence. A closer look at that reporting, however, reveals that according to a spokesman for the Rodger family, Elliot Rodger was never even diagnosed with an ASD.
For several days now, I’ve been highlighting the false and irresponsible reporting on autism in the wake of last Friday’s massacre, but there have also been examples of responsible reporting on Elliot Rodger’s alleged autism, even on MSNBC. The most important thing to remember is that, whether or not Rodger was autistic, that fact has no relevance to the horrific acts he committed.
Having said that, though, it also matters whether the fact of his autism was even true. A friend asked me, yesterday, how much confidence I had in the reported autism diagnosis, but as I’ve said before, being an autism parent doesn’t automatically make me an expert. There were things about Rodger’s manifesto that made me skeptical. Aside from some very superficially recognizable characteristics, Rodger didn’t describe any of the experiences that would go along with an ASD, nothing about communication difficulties, nothing about sensory issues, nothing about receiving any educational services.
That manifesto was, among other things, excruciatingly thorough and brutally honest, and while Rodger described, in detail, all of the things he viewed as deficits that had been inflicted upon him, he never mentions anything remotely related to autism. He also recounts meetings with everyone he ever met, including a “life coach” named Tony and the psychiatrist who prescribed him an anti-psychotic medication, but never mentions a child study team, or any evaluation for autism. While I’m no more qualified to render a diagnosis than Dr. Joe Scarborough is, it made me skeptical. The reporting on that diagnosis is something that’s right in my wheelhouse, so I set about trying to find out where this all actually came from.
The source of all the reporting on Rodger’s supposed autism appears to be a statement by Rodger family attorney Alan Shifman, on Saturday, in which he told reporters that Elliot Rodger had been under the care of multiple professionals since childhood, and that he was a “highly functional Asperger’s Syndrome child,” but Shifman is never directly quoted as saying there was ever a diagnosis.
That precise verbiage is also found in some 1999 divorce papers obtained by RadarOnline, in which Li Chin Rodger, Elliot’s mother, was seeking three thousand dollars a month in child support, in part because, she claimed, “Elliot has special needs; he is a high functioning autistic child.”
In that same filing, though, Peter Rodger responds by saying…READ MORE
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By: Tommy Christopher
Tommy Christopher is The Daily Banter's White House Correspondent and Political Analyst. He's been a political reporter and liberal commentator since 2007, and has covered the White House since the beginning of the Obama administration, first for PoliticsDaily, and then for Mediaite. Christopher is a frequent guest on a variety of television, radio, and online programs, and was the villain in the documentaries The Audacity of Democracy and Hating Breitbart. He's also That Guy Who Live-Tweeted His Own Heart Attack, and the only person to have ever received public apologies from both Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck.
22 responses to Actually, No, Elliot Rodger Was Never Diagnosed With Autism
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AnthonyLook May 29th, 2014 at 19:27
I’d go with schizo effective disorder. Methodical purposeful thought wrapped in delusions exacerbated by external influences or lack their of and complicated by non compliance to treatment and medications.
mea_mark May 29th, 2014 at 19:59
I think you are probably close. He did seem to have a very solid mental structure and attitude, it was just horribly bent for some reason.
AnthonyLook May 29th, 2014 at 20:08
He definitely believed in and thought he knew what he was doing. It was premeditate with malice and forethought.
AnthonyLook May 29th, 2014 at 19:27
I’d go with schizo effective disorder. Methodical purposeful thought wrapped in delusions exacerbated by external influences or lack their of and complicated by non compliance to treatment and medications.
mea_mark May 29th, 2014 at 19:59
I think you are probably close. He did seem to have a very solid mental structure and attitude, it was just horribly bent for some reason.
AnthonyLook May 29th, 2014 at 20:08
He definitely believed in and thought he knew what he was doing. It was premeditate with malice and forethought.
Judy May 29th, 2014 at 19:35
Personality defect.
Judy May 29th, 2014 at 19:35
Personality defect.
mea_mark May 29th, 2014 at 19:56
Asperger’s Syndrome is not a cut and dry type of thing. There are all sorts of degrees. It does sound about right to me though, that he was probably a high functioning autistic person. That does not mean that is what caused what happened but only that it may have contributed to it. I think many things went wrong here and compounded themselves to create an unfortunate tragedy. All things should be looked at as contributing factors, trying to say this is a result of any one thing would be totally foolish, at least without a thorough investigation first. It is possible but not probable.
mea_mark May 29th, 2014 at 19:56
Asperger’s Syndrome is not a cut and dry type of thing. There are all sorts of degrees. It does sound about right to me though, that he was probably a high functioning autistic person. That does not mean that is what caused what happened but only that it may have contributed to it. I think many things went wrong here and compounded themselves to create an unfortunate tragedy. All things should be looked at as contributing factors, trying to say this is a result of any one thing would be totally foolish, at least without a thorough investigation first. It is possible but not probable.
SebGary May 29th, 2014 at 20:18
It’s abbreviated as ASD [ Autism Spectrum Disorder ] . Not Autism Spectrum mental Illness.
SebGary May 29th, 2014 at 20:18
It’s abbreviated as ASD [ Autism Spectrum Disorder ] . Not Autism Spectrum mental Illness.
uzza May 29th, 2014 at 20:42
The only diagnosis we can safely make is that of “asshole”, all the rest is a distraction. Someone should make a venn diagram:
He had some mental illness: lots of people have mental illness and don’t go on murder sprees…
He had guns: lots of people have guns and don’t go on murder sprees…
He was suicidal: lots of people are suicidal and don’t go on murder sprees…
He hated women and thought they should all be killed: uhhh….
Rod Timmons May 30th, 2014 at 02:03
He was a screwed up kid & a coward with GUNS – without those auto-matic weapons he is just a screwed up, pissed off creepy guy !
Rod Timmons May 30th, 2014 at 02:10
Just wanted to add this ………..without all those automatic weapons he was relagated to just a screwed up, pissed off ”POWERLESS” THREAT to any us !
I WANT AN AMENDMENT THAT PROTECTS THE RIGHTS OF US (NON-GUN OWNERS) in America !
uzza May 29th, 2014 at 20:42
The only diagnosis we can safely make is that of “asshole”, all the rest is a distraction. Someone should make a venn diagram:
He had some mental illness: lots of people have mental illness and don’t go on murder sprees…
He had guns: lots of people have guns and don’t go on murder sprees…
He was suicidal: lots of people are suicidal and don’t go on murder sprees…
He hated women and thought they should all be killed: uhhh….
Rod Timmons May 30th, 2014 at 02:03
He was a screwed up kid & a coward with GUNS – without those auto-matic weapons he is just a screwed up, pissed off creepy guy !
Rod Timmons May 30th, 2014 at 02:10
Just wanted to add this ………..without all those automatic weapons he was relagated to just a screwed up, pissed off ”POWERLESS” THREAT to any us !
I WANT AN AMENDMENT THAT PROTECTS THE RIGHTS OF US (NON-GUN OWNERS) in America !
Rod Timmons May 30th, 2014 at 02:19
It is not about mental disorders anyway these mass killers all have ”psychological” disorders – lets deal with our socialogical disorder in our nation of why we need to have so much weapontry at the easy access of those who could not handle a sling shot responsibily ? By the way I hear some speak of resposible gun owner line all the time – well if you are then you shuld have nothing to hide & a background check will come up clean, huh ?
Rod Timmons May 30th, 2014 at 02:20
…sorry—responsible gun owner……….
Rod Timmons May 30th, 2014 at 02:19
It is not about mental disorders anyway these mass killers all have ”psychological” disorders – lets deal with our socialogical disorder in our nation of why we need to have so much weapontry at the easy access of those who could not handle a sling shot responsibily ? By the way, I hear some speak of this responsible gun owner line all the time – well if you are, then you should have nothing to hide & your background check will come up clean, huh ? This just happens to be OUR rights, just in case one of you decide to go off the deep end & bring your weapon with you !
Rod Timmons May 30th, 2014 at 02:20
…sorry—responsible gun owner……….