( CNN ) -- After the horrific shooting in Newtown , Connecticut , a parade of self-appointed experts tried to insinuate that people with autism are prone to inexplicable acts of violence because they lack the ability for empathy and social connection . This is because the shooter , Adam Lanza , had been diagnosed with Asperger 's syndrome , a form of autism . These speculations are needless , untrue and hurtful . I was diagnosed with Asperger 's syndrome when I was 9 years old . I had a lot of anxiety when I was in school , not because I have autism but because other kids would often bully and ridicule me . I was a smart kid , but I was very socially awkward . Thankfully , my parents were very supportive and helped me get through many dark days . I have Asperger 's ; I am just like you . I got in trouble in elementary school for flapping my hands and twirling . I even got in trouble for sitting in my chair strangely . When the Columbine High School massacre occurred , my music teacher told the class to be nicer to me because , as she said , `` look what can happen when kids are bullied . '' That really upset and embarrassed me . The comment made me feel as though I had more potential for violence , which is clearly false . In high school , I decided that I wanted to make contact with other kids who had been diagnosed with autism and were cast out by their own peer groups and looking for support . With my friend Dan Grover , we built WrongPlanet.net , a community for people who wanted to share their personal experiences with autism . We now have more than 70,000 registered members from around the world . After the shootings in Newtown , as I often do when a major news event occurs , I immediately went to my online community to see what other people were saying . One member asked , `` How long before the media paints the gunman as a quiet loner with Asperger Syndrome traits ? '' As we now know , it did n't take too long . Groups : Autism not to blame for violence . The same thing has happened before , like in the Colorado theater shooting , when Joe Scarborough irresponsibly speculated that the shooter , James Holmes , might have been `` on the autism scale . '' He later clarified his comments , saying he did not mean to link autism with violent behavior . As the Newtown news unfolded , I noticed a huge traffic spike to our online community . When I checked the servers , I realized that people were finding the website by Googling search terms such as `` autistic killers , '' `` asperger 's and criminal behavior '' and `` aspergers shooter . '' That gave me a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach . I only hoped that the searches indicated that people wanted to find out the truth : that autism is not connected with violent acts . Most people with autism who I know of are deeply sensitive and ethical ; we just have trouble reading social signals . Research has also shown that we are less likely to engage in criminal behavior . If anything , those with autism are more likely to be bullied or treated with scorn because we are a little different . Fortunately , not everyone has been listening to some of the so-called experts who are implying that autism has something to do with Lanza 's horrible act . A chorus of intelligent voices , including CNN 's Sanjay Gupta and Anderson Cooper , New York Times reporter Amy Harmon , author John Robison and Ari Ne'eman , the first openly autistic White House appointee , has done well to dispel the misconceptions . Troubling legacy of Sandy Hook may be backlash against kids with autism . But the repetition of damaging stereotypes means more needs to be done to address the myths and stigma around autism , which puts people who are already at a high risk for bullying in even more danger . I was really touched when I saw the photo of Dylan Hockley , a 6-year-old boy with autism who died in the arms of his special-needs aide , Anne Marie Murphy , in Newtown . In the face of such terrible tragedy , we do n't need more senseless finger-pointing at an entire community of people . We need more than ever to find our common humanity . Remembering the victims . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Alex Plank .
Alex Plank : After Newtown shooting , some people say autism is linked to violence . Plank : These speculations are needless , untrue and hurtful . He says people with autism are ethical but have trouble reading social signals . Plank : We do n't need more senseless finger-pointing at an entire community .