[quote=scaredyclassic]i didnt know parents mattered in those things autistic. i know a guy who is very very organized, hyperorganized, and demanding of order, and he has an autistic kid. i wonder if that is correlated somehow.[/quote]
I’m sure it is. For example: “When you look at “extreme” autism symptoms, genetics plays almost the only role, according to [a] study, led by clinical psychologist Thomas W. Frazier II of the Cleveland Clinic.”
There is some suggestion that the rise in autism has to do with assortive mating. In other words, in the 50s (and earlier), geeky math professors married the nice girl that they met in high school or the secretary at work or a nice salesgirl – so the geeky-ness (aspergers) was diluted. Now geeky male math professors (engineers, etc.) have the opportunity to meet geeky female math professors (engineers, etc.) at work and tend to marry them. According to the theory, there is a resulting concentration of whatever genes these are, rather than the dilution that may have happened in the past, thus giving rise to an increasing rate and severity of these symptoms.
