This headline REALLY annoyed me....

[PeachyPlumFairy]

The Times today (not online) page 23 'aspergers Boy Killed playmate'.

Only then does it go on to note that his Aspergers symptoms weren't even used in the defence... no, maybe because Aspergers DOES NOTE denote a murderous tendency! Some kids with As do hit out as a result of frustration, but the implication of this headline!!

Very, very

And since when was it OK to refer to people by their individual characteristics anyway? Would they print an article saying 'Fat kid killed...' or 'Eczmatous kid killed...' if it wasn't relevant to the case? No ofcourse not. My son Sam is a lovely clever caring (albeit in his own way) little ald. The AS is incidental, it does not define the entirety of who he he, neither is it OK for anyone to define him by it.

Sorry rant over

This just goes to show that even our usually not so bad broad sheets are now stooping to the same level as the red tops to try and shock people into reading there paper. It is infurriating when they do things like this and I would write/e-mail the editor and tell him exactly what you think about it.

This is one of the things that dh really hates. Recently there seems to be a trend in portraying people with AS as violent. As you say, PPF, woud they have printed a headline like "Epileptic Boy Kills Playmate" if the epilepsy was irrelevant to the events? Somehow I don't think so.

Or 'Diabetic woman in road rage incident'? I think there is a really frightening trend atm to association aspergers with murder.

Can you email The Times to complain???

I'm thinking about an e-mail... anyone any ideas on how to word?

Glad it's not just me who thinks this is out of order!

Email them this thread, that should cover it, you might get a better reply considrering it is an open forrum.

Agree with everything said so far - it's just wrong.

Here is the e-mail I have written: will link to this thread too, good idea!

Sir,

I was very dissapointed to see the headline 'Asperger's Boy Killed Playmate' in the Times issue dated today.

The presence of Asperger's Syndrome was not used by the defence, this is because Asperger's Syndrome children (and adults) are generally law abiding individuals.
The syndrome was not presented as a cause of the behaviour, and as such was deserving at most of a brief mention, certainly not a headline.

Children such as my son who have Asperger's need people to understand the reality of this condition, which is that they are generally lovable, often gentle children who are individuals, not defined by their disorder. Children with the Syndrome need to have as much chance to improve their social skills as possible, not to have their condition sensationalized into one associated with murder.

Your readers should also know that far from being adept at covering up their actions in the way this person did, a child with the syndrome is often literal and unlikely to lie; this behaviour was despite his condition, not as a result of.

Any comments? Still saved as draft ATM.

Looks excellent Peachy, and you are so right about the covering up side. My dn (AS) has problems even in expressing anger, and would stand out like a sore thumb if he tried to cover anything up - he just doesn't know the rules for that sort of behaviour.

Very good.

Have you sent it yet?

Have sent with the link. Showed it to DH as well who agreed I should send.

May not be able to get copy of paper tomorrow, so if anyone gets it can they check even if it is a, what? 0.0000006% likelihood of being printed?

Ta

Looks good to me too, PPF.

It just wouldn't occur to ds1 to cover up something that he'd done. Too honest for his own good sometimes.

What worries me is that kids who are different are likely to get picked on enough as it is. This is likely to make it worse.

this makes me sad but it shows how people do not see others as people first but rush to label them

as a general point
why disabled people instead of person who has a disability
may seem there is no difference but its a world away , words matter and they affect the way we look at others and the world

Yes- there is a tendency to link AS with violence on the media. Have you looked on the NAS website or contacted them, they're always interested in this sort of thing.

Just dropped back in to see what everyone else said Peachy, so glad you decided to e-mail the Editor, may not make it in tomorrow but I shall keep checking for you, let us know if you spot something we all miss.

thank you for drawing it to our attention, ppf.

a few years ago, the Daily Mail ran a front page with something like "

Have e-mailed a reference to the NAs also, thanks.

Thanks for making me feel i'm not being a fruitloop getting upset about this [grin}

Agree with you PPF.

you would think the times would know better. some chance, obviously.

Agree with you that the headline was wrong, wrong, wrong. Guidelines for nationals usually contain good advice about not labelling people by their condition. Just a same the sub who wrote this head (and everyone else who cleared it) didn't think carefully about what they were doing.

Sadly I do think some publications would use epilepsy in a headline - it's still associated with 'wierd and potentially dangerous behaviour', I'm afraid (speaking as someone who has it).

Update:

Apology received from times today- apparently they changed it for later editions anyway but they will be showing the letter and briefing all subs so it doesn't happen again.

Worth doing then {grin}

Hurray! Well done, PPF!

brilliant.

That's a bit crap! (the headline). No wonder you are rattled!

Glad you got an apology from The Times - well done you.