Rare instances of individuals with autism supporting or engaging in terrorism: a reply
| Date | 12 March 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JIDOB-07-2017-0015 |
| Published date | 12 March 2018 |
| Pages | 64-66 |
| Author | Clare Sarah Allely,Lino Faccini |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Learning & intellectual disabilities,Offending behaviour,Sociology,Sociology of crime & law,Deviant behaviour,Education,Special education/gifted education,Emotional/behavioural disorders |
Rare instances of individuals with autism
supporting or engaging in terrorism: a reply
Clare Sarah Allely and Lino Faccini
We thank Chown et al. (2018) for theircomments on our paper and we appreciate the opportunity
to present our perspective of the need forresearch within this important field of study despitethe
controversialand sensitive nature ofthe topic at hand. As pointed outin the letter, we make it clear
to readers in our paper that the involvement of persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in
terrorism is a rareoccurrence –this is also reflected in our title:“Rare instances of individuals with
autism supporting or engaging in terrorism”. In no way do we support any assertion whatsoever
that individuals with ASD are terrorists. As mentioned, we have clearlystated that the vast majority
of individuals with ASD are not supporting or engaging interrorism. However, we may actually be
understatingthe argument because, of course, terrorism seems to be over-represented in autism.
Specifically,terrorism is stillextremely rare in the westernworld and relativelyspeaking, on the basis
of what has been found in the little empirical studies carried out to date, ASD does appear to be
presentin more than 1 per cent of the cases (Corner et al.,2016). In Corner et al.’s (2016)sample of
153 lone-actorterrorists, they found that 3.3 percent had ASD. The paper did not state that these
three individuals also had comorbidities and we thank the authors of the letter for obtaining this
information directly from the authors privately. It is an important consideration. Nevertheless,
Corner and colleagues also stated, on the basis of their studies findings, that: “Three disorders
exhibited a higher prevalence in the lone-actor sample than in the general population
(schizophrenia, delusional disorder, autism spectrum disorders)”. Such important research and
findings cannot be ignored. More research is urgently needed to further understand this area.
Chown and colleagues (2018) highlight that a number of the cases we discussed in our paper
had comorbid intellectual disability (ID) and in one specific case, severe ID. We do recognise that
ASD per se is not an ID. We agree that, where there is comorbid ID in addition to ASD, the
situation is more complex and conclusions cannot be drawn so easily about ASD (or ID).
However, why would ID in itself be a more likely candidate to increase the vulnerability in
someone to support or engage in terroristic activities/behaviours? We would contend that it
would be quite difficult to be involved in lone terrorism only on the basis of low IQ. It is possible
that it would be more unlikely than anything else to be specifically linked to acts that require
planning and thinking –unless you also have ASD.
Virtually all individuals who actually receive a diagnosis of autism have morethan autism (different
comorbidities from case to case). This point has been discussed in a number of recent papers.
For instance, Gillberg (2010) raised an important clinical consideration that: “Co-existence of
disorders –including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, tic
disorder, developmental coordination disorder, and autism spectrum disorder –and sharing of
symptoms across disorders (sometimes referred to as comorbidity) is the rule rather than the
exception in child psychiatry and developmental medicine”. More recently, Gillberg and Fernell
(2014) highlighted that the reported prevalence of ASD is increasing. They suggested that a
proportionof the increase in the rate of ASD is drivenby “Autism Plus”. Autism Plusrefers to autism
with comorbidities (including ID, language disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or
ADHD), and this is what is now being diagnosed by clinicians as ASD. Given the above and the
findings, it would take forever or be impossible to ever show if comorbidities such as: bipolar
disorder,schizophrenia, epilepsy, ID,language disorder or whateverother comorbidity actuallyled
the way to terrorism or if it was autism “in itself”.
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VOL. 9 NO. 1 2018, pp.64-66, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2050-8824 DOI 10.1108/JIDOB-07-2017-0015
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