Should people with Aspergers or others on the autistic spectrum have children?

Autism has an important genetic component, responsible for between 38% and 90+% of incidence, depending on the study. This does not mean that the likelihood of any autistic parent producing an autistic child is within these figures, as this is almost impossible to reliably quantify.

I think that the choice to have, or not to have, children is an inalienable human right. Anything else is eugenics and that contributed to Nazi race theory and other despicable things.

I am autistic and have two neurodivergent children, one being autistic. They have problems, but so do many neurotypical people, and they are both gifted. They are both musical and play 2 instruments each, the elder is a good visual artist and recently gained a first class degree in audio technology/engineering, the younger is in her second year of a chemistry degree and her lowest score so far is 88%. They are both likely to be net contributors to society and, along with the difficulties, get real joy from life.

I'm not sure that I agree that anyone and everyone should have children, I'm certainly not suggesting eugenics or anything, but shouldn't people consider the children and how it might affect them, rather than just considering their own desire to have children? Especially for more severe or perhaps deadly conditions. I don't want to try and impose my beliefs on others, but I'm not sure whether I should potentially give my children a condition which does cause a lot of suffering. They might have a lot of joy in life, but as you say, they will also have difficulties. Is giving them potentially even more problems to deal with fair. My parents don't have it (or if one of them does, they don't know about it), but if they did I'd wonder whether or not they should've had me, considering the problems it's given me. This is quite a controversial and offensive to some opinion, I know, but I think I have a point.

I was arguing for the right of choice. Suffering is the human lot, for the greater part of humanity for most of the time since we evolved self awareness. Your arguments are applicable to all potential parents. For many autistics the condition gives as well as takes away, it is not universally negative. 

Couldn't have put it better myself Martin. 

While I would like not to be burdened by anxiety, social difficulties and odd sensory problems, if a 'cure' also took away my ability to hyper focus, my joy in my obscure interests and my abilities in problem solving and lateral thinking, I would not take it.

I agree that choice is important, but I do think that people ought to consider if it's fair. You're right about suffering, but then again who needs something else to suffer from? And yes, it has its advantages (for example, I'm no Einstein, but I've done fairly well on IQ tests), but in my opinion the disadvantages outweigh those. Personally I'd rather be average in intelligence and "normal". I don't think that many people would choose to remain autistic if it could be taken away.

I agree that choice is important, but I do think that people ought to consider if it's fair. You're right about suffering, but then again who needs something else to suffer from? And yes, it has its advantages (for example, I'm no Einstein, but I've done fairly well on IQ tests), but in my opinion the disadvantages outweigh those. Personally I'd rather be average in intelligence and "normal". I don't think that many people would choose to remain autistic if it could be taken away.

Couldn't have put it better myself Martin. 

While I would like not to be burdened by anxiety, social difficulties and odd sensory problems, if a 'cure' also took away my ability to hyper focus, my joy in my obscure interests and my abilities in problem solving and lateral thinking, I would not take it.