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Day two of David Pecker testimony wraps in NY Trump trial; Supreme Court hears arguments on Idaho's near-total abortion ban; ND sees a flurry of campaigning among Native candidates; and NH lags behind other states in restricting firearms at polling sites.

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The Senate moves forward with a foreign aid package. A North Carolina judge overturns an aged law penalizing released felons. And child protection groups call a Texas immigration policy traumatic for kids.

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The urban-rural death divide is widening for working-age Americans, many home internet connections established for rural students during COVID have been broken and a new federal rule aims to put the "public" back in public lands.

Ohio Expert: No Link Between Autism and Premeditated Violence

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Monday, December 17, 2012   

COLUMBUS, Ohio - As the nation looks for answers to why a gunman killed 26 people at a Connecticut elementary school, some former classmates have said they thought Adam Lanza had a form of autism. However, experts say it's important to point out that there is no connection between the disorder and planned violence.

The president of the Autism Society of Ohio, Denise Sawan Caruso, says any suggestion that autism might have had an effect on the mindset that led to the shootings is harmful to the more than 1.5 million law abiding, non-violent individuals who live with autism each day.

"Having somebody do something as terrible as this and then saying across the board that people with autism should be feared, especially with the number of individuals who are diagnosed with autism, could have terrible impacts on treatment, awareness and understanding of the disability."

The shooter has been described as shy, socially awkward and anxious, which Sawan Caruso says are traits of autism, but also of many other disorders. She says individuals with autism tend to live in the moment and are more spontaneous, thus are unlikely to plan an event as complex as this. She adds that such horrific crimes bring mental health to the forefront, along with debate about whether enough is being done to help those affected by a mental illness.

"Every time something like this happens, we all question that. If this was mental illness, was it identified? And what kind of treatment was available, and was it the right and effective treatment?"

This tragedy highlights the need for more research and better education about all mental-health disorders, Caruso adds, especially with children and young adults.

"This tragedy underscores the need for us as a society to continue to support families and individuals living with autism and mental-health disorders."

Sawan Caruso, who also serves as a national board member of the Autism Society of America, says in cases like this it is crucial to get accurate information, in order to avoid falsely stereotyping an entire group of individuals. She adds that attention should be focused on being there for loved ones of the children and teachers whose lives were lost.


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