C4 News story on computer hacking and autism/Aspergers

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I'm a producer for Channel 4 News - I deal with the programme's technology stories.

I'm researching a piece on computer hacking and Aspergers/autism. Clearly the highly systematic world of computers appeals to some youngsters who are on the spectrum, but I know some find it hard to know where to draw the line (I've read a few forum posts from youngsters who ended up in trouble at school for "hacking", even though the youngster themselves didn't think they were doing anything wrong).

I wondered if there are any families who've had experience of this and might like to speak to us?

I'm aware it may be a sensitive issue, and I'd want to be very clear about how we'd approach it and what we're after - so if you're interested please get in touch and I can send more info about what's involved.

I can be reached at [email protected] or on 07717 878 711.

Thanks - look forward to hearing from you.

As a literal concept, "hacking" isn't "bad." Once I discovered the origins of the term, I realized what a shame it is that a term computer fans used for penetrating thinking became commonly associated with only the illegal potential in it.

I would encourage you to be more specific, and use the term illegal hacking, since that seems to be the answer you are most interested in. Or, opposite direction, broaden your concept and talk about how the term got hijacked.

You can't do a story with an AS component and not be precise in your use of language. Precise language and literal thinking is very important to most of our kids. If you want any respect from them, you'll chose words carefully and accurately.

My son would enjoy discovering he had the talent to hack in the original sense, but he doesn't (he likes to program, but I'm not seeing creative extension - yet). And if he did - he would never break the law, provided someone had told him the law. He is, as probably most AS kids are, a rules kid. He might fight you to death on the rule if it has no logic, but he won't break it.

The issue isn't usually kids having trouble with rules so much as adults failing to convey those rules in an articulate and thorough manner. People seem to think they can say, "no inappropriate use" and have the kids know what that means. Or other similarly vague things. If you don't want kids entering secured sites, be specific, and say exactly that, "you may not enter any secured sites unless you have been given specific permission by authority figure X."

But since the average person (myself included) has trouble remembering that a word can have multiple meanings, and all the ways it could be used, they rarely definitively say exactly what they meant, and rely on the listener to use the rest of the conversation to infer the correct meaning. But most AS kids don't infer well and, really, relying on inference to prevent punishable offenses is not very fair. So whose fault is the misunderstanding?

Much like you and the word, "hacking."

Be sure to mention Gary McKinnon, anyone than can hack the pentagon while drunk and stoned deserves mentioning
Also, talk to the hackers themselves instead of those claiming to represent them (parents/lawyers), I imagine people would be interested to gain an insight into an autistic hacker's perspective

Thanks for your responses.

I understand that hacking isn't necessarily bad or wrong per se - however the instances I've been looking involve youngsters carrying out acts they don't believe are wrong, but which do in fact breach the rules - which I suppose comes back to DW_a_mom's point about not making those rules clear enough.

So to try to clarify - I'm trying to find a family who's had experience of a youngster inadvertently or recklessly committing computer misuse. A difficult ask, I know, but it would really help shed light on the issue.