Exactly. This goes more into culture and shared meaning than merely resting at the stage of perception.

The point is that I DON’T know everything. But I DO know what to take into account when dealing with clients. And that means I don’t limit my inquiry to the sole issue of perception as being the (reductive) answer to the question of ‘what makes this person to that?’

Regarding my original post: if we do not know what events lead up to the action – and this is (like it or not) generally applicable – we do not know the following-

a) what preceded – and may have triggered – the event in question;
b) what other events may have been involved in bringing about the mental state(s) that would lead a person to act in a particular way;
c) essential background knowledge regarding the person’s ‘typical’ behaviour and how the offending behaviour was i) similar to that, and b) different from that.

The law – when making a determination of a defendant’s knowledge of right and wrong – uses at least two sets of rules to arrive at the decision and these rules can only be applied correctly if the information I have listed above has been gained.

Behaviour is a response to more than a perception, and to suggest that that’s all that is involved is – like I said – a crass argument: more is involved than we frequently have time to assess completely. And ANY psychologist worth his/her salt knows this (or, at least, SHOULD!).

Did you read my first entry?

I am very close to an autistic person and learning more all the time. We all interpret situations and react according to our interpretations. Maybe I will change that statement to “some autistic people lash about things that no one else perceives as occurring.” I have seen this over and over. Maybe it is unique to the autistic person I know but based on what I have learned I do not think so.

I respect that you have a lot of experience with this but thinking you know everything there is to know about it will limit your ability to help your clients.

Are you serious? Do you actually KNOW any autistic people?

Autistic people – like ANY other people – respond to events in our environments. The response may be delayed, or it may come as a result of the accumulation of a lot of frustrations but nonetheless there is a trigger.

When my daughter – who is autistic – lashes out, it is for a reason. We have taught her teachers this, and we work a lot with them to show them how to handle things with her.

It’s a bit of a crass argument to assume that it’s all down to autistic perception that’s not in tune with the majority…

I speak as an autistic person, the parent of another autistic person and as a psychologist (specialised in autism issues).

No it isn’t.

——-Respectfully, yes it is according to the legal system in Florida which is where Kevin’s fate lies.

The real question (in the absence of such knowledge at this point) is: what events led up to the stabbing?

——–Again respectfully, autistic people do not need to have something actually happen to them to lash out. It is all about perception and for autistic people that perception does not align with the majority.

Once that question is answered, THEN the question of him knowing right from wrong can be addressed.

———This is not the cut and dry question that it seems to be. If I steal a cookie before dinner and know that that is wrong and then later in the day I stab my mother and know that is wrong, I technically know right from wrong. if I then say I am sorry for both and I do not see that stabbing mom is a greater offense then it becomes something else.

No it isn’t.

The real question (in the absence of such knowledge at this point) is: what events led up to the stabbing?

Once that question is answered, THEN the question of him knowing right from wrong can be addressed.