Autism: The Next Step In Human Evolution?

I have never used this site so I do not know if I’m in the right place to comment on your article, Alaina Leary. I hope I am…
I have long thought those labeled as Autistic have been mis-labeled for society’s comfort.

For the most part, our society is based on the “pack mentality” seen in wolves and other animal groups similar to wolves. There is a hierarchy, everyone in the pack knows where they stand, and, the pack as a whole have no qualms about turning on a member who doesn’t belong. From the time a child is old enough to begin interacting with others, the adults around us are training us to fit in, do what others do, don’t stand out — don’t be different! Throughout our school years, we divide into groups — clearly labeled groups — based upon our similarities, differences, and what others perceive as our deficiencies. By the time we are adults we are fully brainwashed (read as: handicapped and limited) into nice, safe, explainable labels that make everyone else comfortable. Labels that do not really fit or fully explain us to ourselves but that we keep for a plethora of sociological reasons.

Some of these labels cause us to believe we are “less than” others and often give an excuse for others to treat us differently, poorly, dismissively…And we who are different have allowed these ill-fitting, ugly-feeling labels because it’s what we do — we go along to get along and suffer the consequences. For all of our lives. A lot of the labels we have that mark us as different were given to us by our parents because of a deficiency in them. So that if we weren’t normal, if we somehow didn’t fit in with the rest of the herd, everyone hearing the label would know the parent wasn’t to blame so please-don’t-cull-us-from-the-herd-just-because-my-child-is-defective.
And all of the former just pisses me off to no end; especially when it comes to the terms Autistic or Asperger's. Why? Because of the stigma surrounding the labels. The terms both allow people to have a socially acceptable excuse to look down upon people who fall under either term when I do not believe anyone in the spectrum is defective. I suspect it’s just the opposite — the majority of society is defective and Autistic/Asperger’s are a level above everyone else.

What if those who fall anywhere within the ASD are actually the next step in human evolution? IMO, anyone within the Autism Spectrum are Gifted; pure Empaths most certainly and probably — depending upon how high one is on the Spectrum — Gifted with other “psychic” or New Age Gifts. I think they were born feeling everything to such a high degree, their emotions are akin to someone whose raw nerves are exposed because they do not have the protection layers skin provides. They find it difficult to exist in a busy, noisy, dysfunctional world where there is so little peace to be found.

The majority of people have protective mental and emotional barriers that dull their senses and, to a certain extent, help them integrate with the herd. These same barriers that make people believe they are the normal ones allow them to emotionally detach and be cruel, unkind, and lack empathy for others. They are truly “cogs in the machine.” Those barriers also allow them to keep going, keep being part of the herd while our lives become more busy, more remote, more detached. More cruel.

If you stand back and look, our society is hurtling toward something ugly. We interact less with each other on a personal level. We care less for our neighbor. We find it easier to hate, to destroy. We have no respect for others and dishonor the Earth. It’s like the world is speeding out of control and no one cares. So, those adaptive barriers most people are currently born with are actually helping catapult us all toward destruction on a mass scale.

So.
So, what if…. the Chosen Few within ASD are actually Nature’s Solution; an attempt to save us all from the destruction society is speeding toward?
Natural Law says Balance. In all things.
What if ASD’ers are the next step in Human Evolution ? Nature’s Gift — God’s Gift — to humanity. A Gift to be held up as an example of the shift that the masses needed to make. A Gift showing us we need to pay attention and go back to simpler lives, feeling one another, slowing everything down so we all actually see one another again? Where we empathize with our fellow man and take care of each other rather than destroy the planet and each other?

Now go a couple hundred years into the future. Man is having to rebuild from scratch because everything was destroyed by the so-called normal people. Wouldn’t it be interesting if those future people are able to look back on history and see that present-day ASD’ers — Special Gifts to society who were labeled, filed away and dismissed — were actually the leaders who could have saved people and the planet, if only the ego-ridden normals of the 21st century paused to consider the possibility?

Okay. Novella done. I’m really hoping this just goes to you, Alaina, because you’re the only one I wanted to comment to. I hope my rambling actually made sense to you and I really hope you and those around you know what a Gift you are! Much happiness to you, Sister!