I learned many years ago to assess gun safety in the homes after working with one very kind, nice boy who intentionally shot his stepmother in the head with a shotgun stored in her bedroom for safety. Another child found a gun in the home and killed his brother, having no intent to do so. And still a third was paralyzed from the chest down when his cousin discharged an unsecured weapon, also by accident.
Young adults with Asperger's and High Functioning Autims (HFA) often have a difficult time expressing their emotions. They also are often very pre-occupied with video games. And among the most popular are tens of millions of violently themed games with very realistic shooting of enemies, real and imagined, their realism increasing with the technology. The movies' ability to depict violence is even more striking and have broad audiences both on large and small screens. Kids, including kids with Asperger's and HFA are saturated with these increasingly realistic fictionalizations.
It is the nature of people with Asperger's and HFA to struggle with their emotions and emotional expression. It is often that they will express their emotions in action and not word. They often struggle with the skills involved to talk out their emotions which is why a significant number of them may end up tantrumming and even being violent instead of articulating their feelings as a way of discharging the emotional energy stored up. It is to this end that talk therapy, social skills groups and the like are so often recommended to individuals with Asperger's and HFA. It is also common for these folks to benefit from medications to lower their anxiety or to help organize their thoughts that can be distorted and illogical.
But not everyone in need of these services receives them. Many parents, for various reasons, do not pursue such services for their children and teens. Many people in need resist them. How, then, do they express their powerful emotions? It is not uncommon for this group of people to become depressed, and while signs of depression can include dispair that can lead to suicidal feelings, it can also lead to irritability and anger. The lack of ability to manage emotions, then, can be overpowering and the violent images (that might be normal for anyone to experience in a time of stress) can become all the more seductive, fueled by the images so rampant on our screens. Mix that with poor judgement, implusivity, social isolation and the possibility of distorted thoughts and logic and, well, you get the idea.
Parents of people with Asperger's and HFA, particularly those who are gun owners should, then, follow the basics of gun safety. The NRA advises that "dozens of gun storage devices, as well as locking devices that attach directly to the gun, are available." There is no better security than insuring that access to weapons is strictly controlled.
It seems intuitive that violent games and movies should be monitored, limited or even (gasp) not allowed to individuals who are unable to discuss and understand in detail the differences between the reality and fantasy of violent games and movies, and be able to well articulate their own emotions. This should apply to people on the Autistic spectrum as well as those who are not.
The issue of this entry is not gun ownership, but rather one of responsible gun ownership. And not just for families of children and young adults on the autistic spectrum, but families who have children or young adults who are typically developing, or families that have visitors, or anyone who might be burgled - which is everyone with a firearm.
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