There is no clear link between violent tendencies and Asperger's syndrome or Autism says a new report from researchers at the University of California. The statement comes following widespread speculation about the mental state of the Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza, who allegedly had been diagnosed with Asperger's.
According to Elizabeth Laugeson, a researcher at UCLA, his possible diagnosis should not be immediately linked to his actions: "There really is no clear association between Asperger's and violent behavior," she says.
And though previous studies have found an increase in aggressive behavior for those with Autism, such extreme violence in uncommon:
"We are not talking about the kind of planned and intentional type of violence we have seen at Newtown," Eric Butter of Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio tells usatoday.com. "These types of tragedies have occurred at the hands of individuals with many different types of personalities and psychological profiles."
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May 15, 2026 15:25 ET Apart from the confirmation of Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair, the main news on the economics front this week included key price data from the U.S. and the first quarter economic growth figures from major economies. Both consumer prices and producer costs have started to reflect the effect of supply shocks due to the Middle East conflict. In Europe, GDP data was in focus, while inflation data from China dominated the news flow in Asia.