Asperger’s Is No Excuse
The article on Billy Cottrell described students who I have worked with as a speech pathologist (“Burned,” by Vince Beiser, April 10). Those on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum do have difficulty with communication and social skills, which frequently leads to their getting in trouble in childhood, adolescence and adulthood. How many of those in juvenile detention settings, jails or prisons may have committed crimes because of disorders such as this? They also experience difficulty when functioning in the workplace and maintaining relationships.
Asperger’s doesn’t excuse Cottrell’s behavior, but it helps to understand how he got caught up in the situations he did and why his childhood was so difficult.
Sharon Herdina
La Verne
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Asperger’s syndrome is an ambiguous and currently trendy diagnosis, often haphazardly applied to a wide range of behaviors. Absence of free will is not a component of the condition. Asperger’s is no excuse for felonious conduct.
Jonathan Kellerman
Clinical Professor of Pediatrics and Psychology
Keck School of Medicine of USC
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