An interesting read, but it has one key area of vagueness - they don't know quite what to look for yet:
a Kobe University research team created a bank of 63 mouse embryonic stem cell lines containing the mutations most strongly associated with the disorder.
Although it is well understood that genetics influence the development of autism spectrum disorder, no one could yet pinpoint the precise cause and mechanism.
It is good that they are looking, but they don't really know what they are looking for yet. It is like they are searching for the cure without knowing what the condition actually is.
In my opinion they should focus on understanding what the generic identity of autism really is first, then work on possible treatments.
Without autists in the world I suspect that a great deal of the scientific community would become poorly populated so it is conceivable that the government / big corporations would selectively breed (or modify) to obtain the standard of scientists they need and keep them contained to give them an environment in which they could provide maxium output.
With the relaxing of medical oversight in the US and the rise in power of billionaires then this becomes a scary possibility.
