> The autists I know of have no special skills or magical insights This is not necessarily a counter-argument since it is limited to the sample size of those y

> The autists I know of have no special skills or magical insights This is not necessarily a counter-argument since it is limited to the sample size of those you know. The argument supposes that there would be enough benefit to the upside traits of autism disorders to keep the genes in the gene pool. Also, it's not clear how the genes work or how the spectrum of autism-related conditions might have offered beneficial side-effects to group survival. Interestingly, I think it follows that only in animals with "culture" would we find such selection. I wonder if it occurs in dolphins or primates, etc.