Comorbid Autism Spectrum Disorder and Antisocial Personality Disorder in Forensic Settings

Abstract

In this editorial, we start from the premise that the commonly held association of ASDs and violence is a misconception. We discuss topics that repeatedly arise in our clinical practice in treating men with an ASD and ASPD in a high security environment:

whether ASDs are uniquely associated with violence;

what the term “autistic psychopathy” (AP) means in clinical practice today as it relates to empathy and antisocial behavior;

whether a person with an ASD can and should be diagnosed with a comorbid ASPD.