The teenager who shot 17 people at his Florida high school on Valentine’s Day may have fetal alcohol syndrome or a similar brain disorder.
Nikolas Cruz, 19, who was adopted as an orphaned child, opened fire a year after he was expelled from school for allegedly getting in a fight.
In the hours since, many have speculated that the boy may have fetal alcohol syndrome given his facial features – a low nasal bridge, small eyes and thin upper lip – and behavior.
Nathalie Brassard, a program director at the non-profit organization FASCETS, which works with parents of FASD children, told Daily Mail Online the association has merit.
‘Some of the characteristics suggest that he might have been living with an invisible brain-based condition – it could have been FASD or many others, but this young individual may have been functioning differently,’ Brassard said.
Nikolas Cruz, 19, who was adopted as an orphaned child, opened fire a year after he was expelled from school for allegedly getting in a fight
‘He was kicked out of school because of behavioral issues, and that is something that often happens.’
Canada-based Brassard, who has supported families living with FASD for 20 years, said that Cruz’s case echoes many others she has seen of adopted children with brain-based conditions but no clear diagnosis due to lost or unclear paperwork.
‘Very often the information is lacking [such as alcohol consumption during pregnancy] so the formal diagnosis of FASD may not come. That’s why we use the language of “brain-based conditions” because regardless of why, they have this behavior.’
She added that if Cruz is identified as having a brain-based condition, it should drive us to look at how invisible brain disorders are treated in the justice system and in schools.
‘We have to understand that individuals with brain-based conditions cannot do the same things that everyone else can do,’ she said.
‘Very often the parent or caregiver is trying to accommodate the child because they understand that they function differently to everyone else. Others perceive that they are being too easy on them, but they don’t understand that these children need different treatment to prevent them from shutting down, getting upset and frustrated.
‘Often we see the person’s behavior being purposeful when really it could be language for needs that are not being recognized. They are being asked to do things they cannot do.’
According to Brassard, the issue of whether or not Cruz has FASD facial characteristics is neither here nor there.
These are the physical facial features associated with fetal alcohol syndrome
‘We only see facial characteristics in a minority. In the majority there are no facial characteristics, but they are still functioning differently.
‘They may have impaired short term memory, problems with abstract concepts, language and communication issues, behave younger than their age.
‘These can all lead to them acting in a way that we as a society think is bad behavior and we punish them for it, so they get frustrated.’
Children with FASD can fall on many ends of the spectrum and vary in symptoms. Experts generally break the spectrum up into three stages.
ARBD (alcohol-related birth defects) is the mildest stage, occuring in babies of women who drank lightly or moderately during pregnancy.
The physical defects of ARBD includE heart, skeletal, kidney, ear, and eye malformations in the absence of apparent neurobehavioral or brain disorders.
ARND occurs in infants whose mothers drank lightly to moderately during pregnancy.
Specifically, children with ARND do not have the FAS facial abnormalities, but may have developmental disabilities including structural and/or functional central nervous system dysfunction (brain damage) with behavioral and learning problems.
FAS is recognized as the most severe form of the condition and occurs in women who drink heavily during pregnancy.
Kids with FAS have a distinct pattern of facial abnormalities, growth deficiency and evidence of central nervous system dysfunction.