From an ABC report:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3048108&page=1
Lucinda Roy, a co-director of the creative writing program at Virginia Tech, taught Cho in a poetry class in fall of 2005 and later worked with him one-on-one after she became concerned about his behavior and themes in his writings.
Roy spoke outside her home Tuesday afternoon, saying that there was nothing explicit in Cho’s writings, but that threats were there under the surface.
Roy told ABC News that Cho seemed “extraordinarily lonely—the loneliest person I have ever met in my life.” She said he wore sunglasses indoors, with a cap pulled low over his eyes. He whispered, took 20 seconds to answer questions, and took cellphone pictures of her in class. Roy said she was concerned for her safety when she met with him.
She said she notified authorities about Cho, but said she was told that there would be too many legal hurdles to intervene. She said she asked him to go to counseling, but he never did.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
I wonder if he was evaluated for some variety of “high functioning autism” such as, for example,
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/asperger/asperger.htm
http://www.med.yale.edu/chldstdy/autism/aspergers.html
since his reported behavior (before the shootings) at least suggests this as a possibility.
From the conclusion of:
http://www.autism.org/asperger.html
“Researchers feel that Asperger’s syndrome is probably hereditary in nature because many families report having an ‘odd’ relative or two. In addition, depression and bipolar disorder are often reported in those with Asperger’s syndrome as well as in family members.
“At this time, there is no prescribed treatment regimen for individuals with Asperger’s syndrome. In adulthood, many lead productive lives, living independently, working effectively at a job (many are college professors, computer programmers, dentists), and raising a family.
“Sometimes people assume everyone who has autism and is high-functioning has Asperger’s syndrome. However, it appears that there are several forms of high-functioning autism, and Asperger’s syndrome is one form.”
How did you get asperger syndrome out ot the clinical description you referenced? When I read the description in your link, what popped into my mind was Hillary.
My son has Asperger’s. He does not show lack of affect (frozen emotionless face). He talks with people. He doesn’t write sex-tinged violence. He finds these murders horrifying - he can’t imagine someone wanting to do this. Asperger’s does not lead to murderous impulses - just want to make that clear.
It could be a contributor to depression and alienation and is often co-morbid with other disorders like OCD. Some men with Asperger’s stalk women - creepily but harmlessly; they don’t know how to relate to women, so they track them but they’re not trying to scare them.
Cho may have had Asperger’s but I do want to stress that someone with Asperger’s is not more likely to be a murderer.
Mrs VS
I cannot believe someone would be so ignorant as to suggest this sick SOB could have done any of this due to Autism in any of it’s many forms. As the mother of 2 Austistic twin sons, I find it reprehensible as well as insulting to say that. Show me in your links where it said an Autistic person has ever done something like this or that they are even prone to extreme act of violence like this. Research before you say something so offensive.