> would have to communicate and/or work with other autists as competently as neurotypicals mesh with each other Not at all. You're judging by the standards of

> would have to communicate and/or work with other autists as competently as neurotypicals mesh with each other Not at all. You're judging by the standards of neurotypicals. Suppose we discover a genotype that correlates with extremely high social competence, people who are just naturally much better at communicating and working with others. (This isn't much of a stretch; we know there are people like that; we just don't know if it's genetic.) If we document this new, higher level of social functioning, does that mean that neurotypicals are now also defective, diseased?