Is Aspergers the next evolutionary step for humans?

I think that AS is a dead end in evolution like pterosaurs were. Modern day birds and bats are not related to or descended from pterosaurs. It is a clade that became completely extinct with no descendants. That tiny firecrest in the hedgerow is descended from theropod dinosaurs and is genetically closer to a T Rex than any pterosaur.

This is very true and support and services will be much more effective and beneficial during childhood rather than with middle aged adults who could be further hindered by having a bad childhood as a result of undiagnosed ASD.

I think that Lorna Wing did a disservice to children with AS of the 1980s and early 1990s by failing to publicise AS in a place where teachers and parents could find out about it.

There are lots of articles and research papers about genetic markers for ASD, including many suggesting that these markers are older than our split from other great apes, but I'm not aware of any research showing evidence of any other apes showing signs / symptoms of ASD. 

(I'd be wary of any studies claiming to have 'given' ASD to apes because this genetic evidence is incomplete and we don't yet have the 'recipe' which would, anyway, require growing entirely new neural networks whilst deleting others. It might be possible to 'breed for' it using apes (or us?) but I don't think we're there yet with either the knowledge or the technology.)   

One, less scholarly, article is: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mom-am-i-disabled/20173/why-does-autism-still-exist which raises a few interesting points.

Obviously humans have selected for intelligence and logic, innovative and outside-the-box thinking, and many other features of Asperger's but none of these things would have been of much use without our ability to interact socially as a species - it's the communication of these ideas that enables the survival and progress of the species as a whole. Selection for the types of intelligence that Asperger's enables is clearly a benefit overall but, like much in genetics / evolution, it's a messy business and the 'recipe' doesn't include measurements / quantities. A dash too much logic and you get less of the ability to communicate it perhaps? 

I think the more we learn about genetic diversity the more tolerant society will become.  

we are all human...and we are all unique in our own ways.... and we all have the potential to contribute a great deal in society...

undeniably the limited mindset of some to recognise uniqueness means that mankind is wasting the talents of many...partly due to its own self constructed criteria of "good enough" or "normal" and what is "worthy" and "worthless" - some cannot see beyond a label or condition...some cannot see in others what they do not have, or are too lazy or close minded to discover 

Shall we suggest a captive breeding program! lol

but...... :) 

To quote Animal Farm... "we are all equal, but some of us are more equal than others?" 

Naturally you are right.  We should celebrate and cherish difference.  But... 

Maybe the next evolutionary step is developing a society that celebrates and can see the value of every individual. That we all have something to contribute and each of us are of equal value.  I have skill sets in some areas...but not others...is not society a giant puzzle and we each individual pieces?

To poach the mindset of Rousseau...maybe things were okay until someone raised their hand and said "this is normal" - and YOU are "not normal" - we are a tribal community and that tribe is HUMAN?

What I suppose I am trying to say is:

”By failing to diagnose ASD at a younger age and by failing to provide adequate and enhanced support. Mankind is wasting the talents of those with ASD.  Therefore society is poorer for it.”

I read your post on apes with Autism and all I could find was an article about Teco.  A bonobo who exhibited some of the behaviours associated with autism.   

The only other article was about modifying monkeys and giving them autism.  I don’t like that idea myself. 

Here is a thought though.  It has taken me, age 37, to ask for an assessment on ASD. But no health professional has suggested it.  Should then we be screened at childhood I.e as a toddler and at school for it?

That way we can get the support we need.  I am a aware of chronic underfunding in this area and possible misdiagnosis. 

It's a fun idea, as it means that NT's would be tomorrow's Neanderthals, but I don't think it's particularly plausible.

The current 'rise' in ASD has more to do with better awareness of the diagnostic criteria than anything else. There is also evidence that we share ASD with other apes and that it could always have been in the mix rather than being a new phenomenon. 

For an evolutionary change to occur, the change must have conferred an advantage that allowed the individuals affected to breed more effectively than those not affected. People with ASD, or Asperger's in particular as your question says, don't outnumber those without but we do obviously exist so it seems that, while useful (otherwise we wouldn't exist at all by now), it's not an overall evolutionary advantage (otherwise we would surely outnumber NT's by now).   

I wonder how long autism has actually been occurring in humans. There seem to be more cases diagnosed now, but that's because it's more frequently recognised. And according to Google, the word autism was first used in 1908, so it would have been called something else before then. There might have been autistic cavemen, for all we know.

Quite possible as generally we have a high IQ and can do things that others can't, but if it is, is in very early stages as life with the condition has lots of positives but lots of difficulties as well which in the evolution needs sorting out.

Don’t get me wrong, some aspects of Aspergers sucks.  But what if we are the next step in evolution?