Do you think Aspegers is part of human evolution?

[Lena]

So, I have Aspegers, my fiance does too, he's son has Autisim... my father has Aspegers non diagnosed and I can see some relatives on my fiance's side who are on the spectrum.
...being newly diagnosed, knowing the traits. I see some traits more prevalent in my and my fiance's family. I am currently pregnant and concerned.

 

[Judge]

Not sure what broad role it would play in evolution, but I believe genetics has a great deal to do with it.

I have a first cousin I'm certain is on the spectrum, but I haven't seen him in 15 years.

 

[clg114]

Now that is a very interesting concept. Maybe some Aspie will build a time machine and see what it is like in a few hundred years from now. Although a few hundred years would be just a drop in the evolutionary bucket. Better make that a few million years from now.

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

In order for aspergers to be part of evolution it is necessary for people on the spectrum to reproduce more than people not on the spectrum, so that it eventually becomes predominant in the human race. I highly doubt that that is the case, and as such it is just a "difference", not "evolution".

However, it is believed that AS does have a genetic link. The high occurrence of autism spectrum disorders in your family does make it more likely that your child may be on the spectrum, but it is not definite.

 

[Southern Discomfort]

I don't believe it's evolution. I think it's a bit arrogant to say we're the next level of evolution. Genetics does definitely play a part though.

 

[SUM1]

There are at least a dozen candidate gene mutations that could be responsible for a range of autistic characteristics, and they seem to have a high rate of heritability once mutated. It at the same time seems that these mutations can be de-novo or occurring in the womb, so it explains why various people from all ethnicities can have autism and not just one distinct lineage.

 

[Mathalamus]

Yes, i believe autism is a part of human evolution. there had to be numberless people with autism in the past, of varying degrees and spectra, and a subset of them had to contribute to humanity in some way.

maybe a Neuroatypical person noticed that he was a little too dirty, and cleaned himself more often. maybe another person noticed patterns where no one else saw them. maybe another person had the compulsions to name all the little stars, and so on.

that is, what i believe.