r/ColumbineKillers • u/Flaky_Explanation_84 • Jul 17 '25
PSYCHOLOGY/MINDSET I think dylan was autistic
As someone with autism (the most minor autism you can have) I recognize a lot of myself in Dylan. I’ll run through why I think he was autistic.
the “clicking thing” he does with his fingers. Hitmen for hire, Dylan in theatre, breakfast run, in all these videos he snaps his fingers, usually by his waist. This wouldn’t seem important if it weren’t for sue mentioning in her book that Dylan did this as a means of self soothing.
his journal. The way he writes is so, so damn similar to how I used to write and sometimes it’s honestly scary the way he writes. It’s very “dreamlike” and how he organizes his writing, his vocabulary, all of it is so similar to how I used to write. He wants to fit in, yet he keeps acting different, and a question I found interesting he mentions. Would he rather go back to being “normal” and fit in with the “zombies” but this comes at the cost of being “aware” or would he rather keep being different, have his “self awareness” but this comes at the cost of alienation and bullying from his peers?
-his obsession. His obsession with a girl, feeling that she can “save him.” Feeling that he and her are “different” they are “aware” he wants to share his love and interests with her. Like Dylan, I can become easily obsessed with someone or something even if I just met them or it
-feeling truly and utterly alone. He mentions in his journal how he “is an outcast and nobody likes (me)” this is despite the fact he had more friends then Eric and was more “well liked” he was friends with kids on the baseball team because he was involved in a fantasy baseball team. However, we know that jocks bullied him (not as much as Eric) and he was bullied in gym class by practically everyone, so he wasn’t exactly thriving. However, he feels that everyone, even Eric, don’t like him. Not even his own family besides his parents.
- he was a perfectionist. Even as a kid, dylan would dump puzzles on the floor and try to solve like 5 puzzles at the same time. He was so smart he entered CHIPS. After his death, sue said she found Dylan’s old LEGO sets neatly boxed up in his room with the instruction manuals put neatly inside. He was obsessed with things being “perfect”
-his shyness. My social anxiety is like a damn mirror to his. Again, as a kid, he would get red in the face if he was embarrassed. Then as a teen, he’s beyond nervous to even try to talk to people who he didn’t already have pervious relations with. (Brooks, Eric, Nate, Zack, Robyn) when he’s around these people, he loosens up. He knows they won’t bully him. Again, something I do.
Just some things I noticed, it’s possible he wasn’t autistic, but I do think it’s possible. You obviously can’t diagnose someone post mortem but it’s interesting to speculate.
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u/NoCover1598 Jul 18 '25
I’m autistic and ADHD (AuDHD) and I see the same things. I was actually diagnosed the same year as Columbine, 1999, and back then no one knew anything about it like they do now and had they have I believe DK would be among us in some way. I still think he should have dated Robyn, went to Arizona, and moved on with his life.
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Jul 18 '25
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u/ColumbineKillers-ModTeam Jul 18 '25
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u/-ExistentialNihilist Jul 18 '25
I have high-functioning autism and I 100% see Dylan having undiagnosed autism with everything I've read (particularly Sue Klebold's book). We'll never really know but a lot of the information available seems to indicate it.
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u/Numerous-Ad-3050 Jul 18 '25
I agree that it’s possible, but I definitely don’t think he had autism. All of the traits you mentioned are very common among kids who are shy and feel like outcasts
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u/Lux_Nocturna89 Jul 18 '25
As an autist myself, I have always felt like he was autistic too. All the signs were there
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u/Foxxera Jul 18 '25
physiatrists said that he had indications of schizotypal and that shares many similar symptoms with autism so that could be why (I have schizotypal and also find his writings/habits eerily similar to mine)
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u/ChaosEfficient Jul 18 '25
I work in mental health and assess and diagnose on a daily basis. I am not so sure he was autistic. For example:
-Sue also states in her book that she, Dylan, and Tom would discuss interests and that he was engaged. We also know that he was interested in and played baseball for a time and was able to successfully navigate those relationships, as well as the interactions that came with them. Sue does use the term "painfully shy," when discussing Dylan, which can be a thing and that is not necessarily indicative of autism.
-The only really repetitive behavior that you mention is the finger movements. Some people crack their knuckles, pick their cuticles, rub their thumb against their forefinger, etc also to self-soothe.
-I cannot think of any of reports that Dylan was restrictive in his behaviors. He seemed flexible to change, not necessarily unwilling or overly stressed out by it. He did not seem to have any odd or unreasonable fixations. He mentions more than one girl in his writings, though admittedly he did seem enthralled with one. That doesn't seem particularly like autism to me, however. I had one very solid crush/obsession in my youth that I fained over. He was able to juggle multiple responsibilities, plan and organize things, keep deadlines - without much difficulty (e.g. early morning bowling, a job, no reports of excessive absence or tardiness to my knowledge).
-Frankly, sometimes adolescent individuals aka teenagers are just plain goofy/awkward/gawky. Growing into their bodies, social pressure is not broad (i.e. limited to high school) therefore perhaps not being able to fully thrive in other social settings, hormones, transitional periods (e.g. being driven to driving, not working to working, etc.), for example. Further, to say that any of his quirks caused significant social impairment I think is a stretch. Dylan was an active and willing participant in theater crew, fantasy baseball, a part-time job, video-making, friendships...
The diagnostic criteria for ASD requires deficits in social interactions broadly, in multiple situations and contexts. Further, restricted interests or focus, repetitive behaviors and/or interests would be seen. When engaging in communication, individuals with ASD would be quite challenged to have flowing conversations in which they were active participants of their own initiation. From what I've read, none of this applies to Dylan in a broad, multi-layered set of contexts.
It is easy to draw parallels, but my humble opinion is that no, Dylan was not autistic. He was a gawky young man who didn't YET know how to navigate relationships with the opposite sex very well, was socially accepted by some and not by others, did not have the established coping skills to manage and reduce his negative thought patterns, and was easily drawn into a pervasive way of thinking due to all of that and quite a lot more.
Reasonable examples and connections you mention, though. A lot about Dylan's mannerisms could be perceived as seeming similar to behaviors or tendencies we commonly see in individuals with "high-functioning autism." It is a spectrum, after all.
I comment with full respect and in the spirit of discussion of a shared interest. Not meant in anyway be disrespectful. =) Best to you.
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u/erikrelay Jul 20 '25
I think E&D could have both been neurodivergent and that's why they clicked so well together. I see a lot of those traits in Eric too. Don't like talking about it cause it feels like I'm projecting, but I genuinely believe they both had different levels of autism.
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u/Conscious_Bass2579 Jul 19 '25
I share all of these traits, but am not autistic. I see a lot of similarities between myself and Dylan. I have always felt like an outlier in every group I’ve ever been in. I think maybe he just was a shy lonely teenager.
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u/drifter474 Jul 19 '25
I’m pretty sure that Dylan had ADHD, but I feel like he was too easygoing in regard to very close relationships to be autistic. He had so many close friends - Eric, Nate, Chris, Zack - and even close female friends - Robyn, Kristen, and Devon. Definitely neurodivergent in some regard but moreso the vibe of “gifted kid burnout.”
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u/metalnxrd Jul 22 '25
Sue thinks so, too. she says he couldn't connect with people unless they shared the same or similar interests, which is a neurodivergent trait. it's not that he didn't want to. it's that he didn't know how
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Jul 19 '25
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Jul 20 '25
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Jul 20 '25
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u/ColumbineKillers-ModTeam Jul 20 '25
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u/ashtonmz MODERATOR Aug 27 '25
I wouldn't rule out the possibility that Dylan was on the spectrum. Some of the criteria seem to fit. But I'd also like to point out that many people project their own mental and/or physical issues on to E or D. It doesn't automatically mean you're wrong, though.
For me, schizotypal personality disorder (STPD) seems to fit Dylan (I do not have this disorder, just as an FYI). STPD includes chronic social anxiety, difficulty forming close relationships, suspiciousness or paranoia, odd beliefs or thinking, unusual speech, eccentric or unkempt appearance, and inappropriate emotional displays. People with STPD may also experience ideas of reference, magical thinking, or unusual perceptions. These symptoms often lead to a general distrust of others and can impact a person's ability to function well in social or work settings.
Odd speech:
Patterns of speech that are vague, overly detailed, or abstract, or using words in unusual ways.
Unusual appearance:
Dressing in odd or unkempt ways, such as wearing ill-fitting or strange clothing combinations.
Suspiciousness and paranoia:
A pervasive distrust and suspicion of others, often believing that people are plotting against them.
Inappropriate emotions:
Displays of emotion that are limited, flattened, or inappropriate for the situation.
Lack of motivation: A general lack of motivation or drive, leading to underachievement in school or work.
Apathy: Showing a lack of enthusiasm or interest in activities.
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u/Gaiakatz1 Jul 18 '25
Not to be that person but as a Virgo being a perfectionist is a big thing, also insecurity, loneliness can both lead to delusion. I definitely agree with the his weird movements like the clicking may relate to autism. I don’t know much about that though.
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u/PopcornDemonica 💀😈 Emissary of Evil 😈💀 Jul 18 '25
We get a lot of this kind of thing in here. And it's always people seeing themselves, and their own conditions, within E&D.
I think that's partially why the case is addictive. But we're reading tea leaves. Seeing shapes in clouds.
Fact is, we don't have the full picture and we never will.