NL had been dealing with AL's condition all his life. There is nothing to suggest that he ever showed any outward violent tendencies. His other behavior characteristics, that might point to signs in another child, were normal for his condition.
http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/tc/aspergers-syndrome-topic-overview
I've picked out some of the possible symptoms below:
Have a very hard time relating to others. It doesn't mean that they avoid social contact. But they lack instincts and skills to help them express their thoughts and feelings and notice others feelings.
Like fixed routines. Change is hard for them.
May have only one or a few interests, or they may focus intensely on a few things. For instance, they may show an unusual interest in snakes or star names or may draw very detailed pictures.
Guns, computers, video games appear to have been his interests. I definitely don't approve of the shared interest in guns in AL's case, but in the mind of his mother, as others have mentioned, it may have been one of the only ways she found to bond with him and try to get him in a social situation. Since he showed no signs of violence, it obviously wasn't a concern to her, or anyone else for that matter, that he would ever do anything like this.
May be bothered by loud noises, lights, or strong tastes or textures.
If he was sensitive to light, bags on the window would be easily attributed to his condition. His eating habits would also.
Also:
Many children with Asperger's syndrome also have coexisting conditions and may have symptoms of these conditions also. They include:
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Anxiety disorder.
Depression, especially in adolescents.
Nonverbal learning disorder.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Social anxiety disorder.
I've picked out some of the general strategies below:
Children with Asperger's syndrome benefit from daily routines for meals, homework, and bedtime. They also like specific rules, and consistent expectations mean less stress and confusion for them.
NL's catering to AL's eating habits and other things that she did were ways to alleviate stress and confusion.
Be aware that background noises, such as a clock ticking or the hum of fluorescent lighting, may be distracting to your child.
Try to identify stress triggers and avoid them if possible. Prepare your child in advance for difficult situations, and teach him or her ways to cope. For example, teach your child coping skills for dealing with change or new situations.
It says to avoid stress triggers if possible. Adam was now an adult. He didn't want her in his room could be equal to a stress trigger she could avoid. I don't know how she could have forced him to take medication that may have helped his condition. It is stated she was planning on moving so AL could go to school or get a job working on computers. She would have to of slowly worked with him on this idea, because of his resistance or anxiety to change. Some of the things that others may do with a child, the experts may recommend not to do with a child that has his conditions. In addition his behavior could be all explained by his conditions. So, no obvious red flags are present.
In hindsight:
No one should leave easy access to guns in the home.
Maybe his family should have put him in a group home or something. I don't know what the procedure is to accomplish this with a adult child. I don't know how you force a adult child with mental illnesses to do anything. As far as anyone knows, he was quietly minding his own business in the basement. She was thinking and working on plans to move forward for his future. What would the experts say to do with him?
Should she have had more support? Sure she should have, but I don't know who she was consulting with, if anyone and what they may have been telling her. Avoiding stresses and slowly working toward change (the move) may have been her plan to get him out of the basement and on with his life.
I don't know. This is tough because he had a condition all his life that could easily explain his behavior, up until his final act.
Here is a article about another school shooter. The doctor interviewed in the article talks about some things she sees in common with school shooters. Maybe a
few of her comments can add some insight into what could have been going on in his mind.
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/7288381/#.UptxrMRDulI
