A case-control study of offenders with high functioning autistic spectrum disorders

Although a number of case reports have suggested that some people with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) commit criminal offences, and that core cognitive characteristics may be associated with this vulnerability, the possibility has not been investigated. The exploratory study described in this paper examined whether the cognitive impairments of people with ASDs are associated with their vulnerability to offending. Groups of 21 adults with ASDs and a history of offending, 23 adults with ASDs and no history of offending, and a general population group of 23 people without ASDs were compared on established measures of those aspects of cognition known to be impaired in both people with ASDs and offenders: theory of mind, executive function, and emotion recognition. Compared with their non-offending peers, the ASD offenders showed a significantly greater impairment in recognition of emotional expressions of fear, but no difference in theory of mind, executive function, and recognition of facial expressions of sadness. It is proposed that a small group of people with ASDs may be co-morbid for autism and developmental disorders of antisocial behaviour, and that this might be related to their vulnerability to criminal offending.