By: Carol S. Weinman, Esq., C.A.S., Autism Expert and International Speaker

The question on the minds of so many people I encounter is: “So, how did this happen?”

Misunderstandings can Lead to Legal Consequences

When the facts of a given case are exposed, it is often difficult to imagine how an individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) could have landed in this predicament.  What occurred that resulted in their being arrested, handcuffed and charged with child pornography, sexual assault or terroristic threats? For those of us who understand ASD, we may be bewildered by the thought of what could have taken place that led to an arrest and possibly imprisonment. After all, we know that generally speaking, individuals with ASD are not violent nor of a criminal nature. Rarely do they intend to harm another person or intentionally pursue others with the purpose to harass or terrorize them.

What transpired leading up to this point? What factors contributed to this individual coming into contact with law enforcement and the criminal justice system? The simple answer is isolation and naivety. With such easy access to the internet, many teens and adults with ASD spend countless hours facing a computer screen. Given their social deficits, the internet is often the primary conduit between them and the outside world. Curiosity often draws them into chat rooms or pornography sites and with the inadvertent click of a tab or a link, they enter the forbidden world of child pornography.

Another scenario may include a curious teenage boy who spots a girl on the street whom he finds attractive.  Naïve and often possessing the emotional maturity of a young child, he approaches her and inappropriately touches her buttocks or other body part. And, then there’s the case of the young boy whose impulsivity and lack of emotional regulation leads him to threaten someone who invades his personal space or whom he perceives as a threat.

None of these possible scenarios possess an element of mean-spiritedness, an intention to hurt or to scare the other person. The conduct of the individual with ASD is an unintentional knee-jerk reaction rather than a conscious action.

Understanding is the First Step to Prevention

Hopefully, it is becoming somewhat clearer that the key to answering, “how did this happen?” is understanding ASD. And, really understanding and appreciating ASD. That is no simple task. ASD is a complicated neurological and development disorder that manifests differently in every person affected. That is why each case is as different and unique as the individual who committed what society deems a criminal act.

To understand what happened, we must better understand the person who behaved in a way society considers inappropriate and unacceptable according to its rules and regulations. At least that is where we need to start.