Is Autism an Evolved Adaptation?

kw: speculation, autism, asperger, ASD

I recently read an article in one of the May 2006 issues of Time about autism. Seems the current term is "autistic spectrum disorders" or ASD. I wonder if these are really disorders? I also recently read that some number of folks (10% or so?) are sensitive to very low frequencies, such as those used by elephants, rhinos, and big cats for long-distance communication. These ideas milled around in my head...

I have three friends who are autistic. One is a 4th grader, one of my music students. He is intense, focused, disciplined, very frank, and more sociable than I'd expect of an autistic person. He does tend to live in his head, and not listen well unless you can get him to look at you. He is diagnosed with a mild form of Asperger.

Another, a 10th grader, is a family friend. His particular interest—obsession, really—is weather. He and I have spent some happy times talking about weather and climate. He knows he has Asperger. I have noticed his hands are always chapped, so he probably has a washing obsession also.

The third, in his 20s, is right on the edge of full-blown autism. He is hard to talk to, and usually unwilling to interact. Whatever he is interested in, he does 100%. Whenever he gets bored, he's gone.

I have seen other people who are, I supposed, placed variously along the autistic spectrum. I am told an autistic person who has a job of interest to him (80%+ are male) is a very devoted, often overly loyal, worker.

The various "bad habits" usually reported for autistic persons, such as screaming and head-banging, seem to be exaggerations of responses we all feel to overwhelming stimuli. To me they manifest less-than-ordinary impulse control.

As far as I can tell, autistic characteristics and behaviors are exaggerations of "normal" stuff. If a person mainfests the intense focus of an autistic savant, but is otherwise ordinary, we don't call it a disorder. I am myself sometimes very averse to human contact, and I've been known to indulge in "autistic rocking" when overwhelmed. Some, perhaps many, autistic persons have keener or more sensitive hearing or light sensitivity than usual.

If a person has four or five of these "fringe" characteristics, being "3-sigma" or more from the norm in them, we label it, but what is really going on? In quiet times, people with keener senses, who overreact to sounds or bright light, or who are extra-focused, are considered a nuisance. But what of more chaotic times? Keen senses detect enemies or impending catastrophes sooner. Great focus is needed for rapid problem-solving in the face of emergency.

I think the human species keeps a certain number of these people around, because there are times when we need them. They deserve our appreciation.