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edspr<strong>in</strong>g could sound like f<strong>in</strong>gernails scrap<strong>in</strong>g across a blackboard. To rema<strong>in</strong> stable, Markram believed,<br />
you’d have to regulate your life to <strong>the</strong> fullest extent possible, develop<strong>in</strong>g a rigorous focus on detail and<br />
repetition.<br />
Oliver Sacks wrote that autistic people, as an adaptation to an “un<strong>in</strong>hibited barrage of sensation,” often<br />
needed to create a world of <strong>the</strong>ir own, one that was calm and orderly. Some autistic people fashioned this<br />
world between <strong>the</strong>ir ears, but Knight built it amid <strong>the</strong> trees.<br />
And yet accord<strong>in</strong>g to Stephen M. Edelson, <strong>the</strong> executive director of <strong>the</strong> Autism Research Institute, <strong>in</strong> San<br />
Diego, Knight’s behavior, however autistic-seem<strong>in</strong>g, did not rise to <strong>the</strong> level of autism spectrum disorder.<br />
Edelson believed that given <strong>the</strong> opportunity to meet with Knight, few experienced doctors would deem him<br />
autistic. Knight’s ability to plan and coord<strong>in</strong>ate his life, to survive for so long completely on his own without<br />
<strong>the</strong>rapy or treatment, is extremely uncharacteristic of an autistic person.<br />
Ca<strong>the</strong>r<strong>in</strong>e Lord, a professor of psychology at Weill Cornell Medic<strong>in</strong>e, <strong>in</strong> New York, said that even <strong>the</strong><br />
most autistic adult or child she’d ever encountered usually had someone <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir lives <strong>the</strong>y would like to be<br />
around. Many autistic people desire contact and hugs but don’t know when it’s appropriate. “For every<br />
autistic trait he has,” said Peter Deri, a cl<strong>in</strong>ical psychologist <strong>in</strong> private practice <strong>in</strong> New York, “he has traits<br />
that are <strong>the</strong> anti<strong>the</strong>sis. Autistic people don’t steal. <strong>The</strong>y’re not crim<strong>in</strong>als.” Knight exhibited none of <strong>the</strong><br />
repetitive movements or recurrent speech patterns typical of those with ASD.<br />
Ano<strong>the</strong>r idea proffered by <strong>the</strong> state psychologist who did exam<strong>in</strong>e Knight was schizoid personality<br />
disorder. This is not <strong>the</strong> same th<strong>in</strong>g as schizophrenia, <strong>in</strong> which people characteristically lose contact with<br />
reality and often experience halluc<strong>in</strong>ations and delusional th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g. Schizoid personality is similar to autism<br />
<strong>in</strong> that people with ei<strong>the</strong>r disorder rarely have close relationships and tend to be logical th<strong>in</strong>kers. Those with<br />
autism, however, often want friends but f<strong>in</strong>d human social <strong>in</strong>teraction too <strong>in</strong>comprehensible. People with<br />
schizoid personality disorder prefer to be solitary. <strong>The</strong>y lack any general <strong>in</strong>terest to be with o<strong>the</strong>rs, even<br />
sexually. <strong>The</strong>y know <strong>the</strong> social rules but have decided not to follow <strong>the</strong>m; <strong>the</strong>y are <strong>in</strong>different to everyone<br />
else. Jill Hooley, <strong>the</strong> head of <strong>the</strong> cl<strong>in</strong>ical psychology program at Harvard University, felt that Knight’s<br />
behavior was consistent with many of <strong>the</strong> features of schizoid personality disorder.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are good arguments why Knight both could and could not be diagnosed with schizoid personality<br />
disorder. <strong>The</strong> evidence showed that he was apa<strong>the</strong>tic to people, <strong>in</strong> a schizoid way, but his <strong>in</strong>ability to <strong>in</strong>teract<br />
naturally with o<strong>the</strong>rs and his hypersensitivity to sensory changes seemed classically autistic. “<strong>The</strong> temptation<br />
to label Knight is so great,” said Peter Deri. “Was he depressed? Was he schizoid? Bipolar? Are <strong>the</strong>re<br />
Aspergian traits?”<br />
Maybe <strong>the</strong>re’s a bra<strong>in</strong> abnormality—a damaged amygdala, a shortage of oxytoc<strong>in</strong>, an imbalance of<br />
endorph<strong>in</strong>s. Stephen M. Edelson suggested several syndromes before giv<strong>in</strong>g up and quipp<strong>in</strong>g, “I diagnose<br />
him as a hermit.”<br />
“Noth<strong>in</strong>g makes complete sense,” said Deri. “<strong>The</strong> complexity of this guy is so puzzl<strong>in</strong>g, you could go<br />
anywhere diagnostically. <strong>The</strong>re has to be grandiosity to go through with a plan like that, it is so exceptional.<br />
Knight is like a Rorschach card. He really is an object for everyone to project onto.”<br />
Knight expressed little <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> his diagnosis. “I only learned about Asperger’s here <strong>in</strong> jail. It’s just a<br />
label slapped on a set of behaviors.” He admitted that <strong>the</strong>rapy might benefit him, but was adamant that any<br />
disorder assigned to him not be used as an excuse for his crimes. He said he was tak<strong>in</strong>g no medications.<br />
“I don’t want to be <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> position of victim. It’s not my nature. <strong>The</strong>re’s not much, from what I’ve read,<br />
that I can do about my diagnosis. I don’t th<strong>in</strong>k I’ll be a spokesman for <strong>the</strong> Asperger’s telethon. Do <strong>the</strong>y still