Susan Sutherland

Message from the Lurie Center of Massachusetts General Hospital for Children.
We  share the horror and sadness of people across the world as well as our own community. The tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut on Friday is a terrible and incomprehensible act of violence. Along with the community at large, we convey our deepest sympathy to the victims, their families and friends, and their community.

Many  comments have been and will continue to be made associating Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), particularly Asperger's Syndrome, as well as mental illness with the alleged shooter in this tragedy.  As a result, there is much anger and confusion among the community at large. As a center that provides services to people with ASD, we feel the urgency to clarify what we know and to offer advice. What we know is that there is no causal connection between the conditions known as ASD, including Asperger's Syndrome with extreme violence. Persons with ASD are no more likely to commit a violent act than persons not on the Spectrum. A behavior of a person does not necessarily reflect a characteristic of any group that he or she may belong to.

Since this correlation has been mentioned in press reports, persons on the Spectrum may worry that they themselves will be perceived to be capable of such an atrocity. They may also worry that people in the community may be afraid of them. We must be careful not to add to this stigmatization When myths and misunderstandings are perpetuated, nonviolent people with the same condition suffer. Our overwhelming concern is for the families of the victims through their deep, enduring grief and devastation.

The award recognizes a child and adolescent psychiatrist who has made significant contributions in a lifetime career or single seminal work to the understanding or care of those with developmental disabilities.

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