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[summer_in_TX]

37. That would be exciting if it bears up in humans!

As a special education teacher, I dealt with students on the spectrum. Some could be accommodated in the school fairly easily.

One boy I had as a third and fourth grader (great kid), had a very difficult time in school in K-2. His parents could afford specialized help and he went to a neurologist several mornings a week before coming to school. By third grade, meltdowns were very rare and he had developed some social skills.

My second cousin's wife is now homeschooling their very autistic son who exhibits many typical behaviors like flapping, "stimming," and non-engagement with others. He did not adjust to a school environment, I feel sure, from observing him. Their income and social life is constrained, even within the extended family because "Zack" doesn't participate in play or other activities. Tragically the grandfather (my first cousin once removed) committed suicide last September and there were hints that the grandson's autism and fears of being burdened or being a burden might have been a factor (according to an ex).

One of my grandsons is probably on the spectrum, at the Asperger's end. Very high functioning in many areas and relates well to adults, but big deficits too. He is gifted in mechanical and electrical areas.

I've been meaning to explore the possible connection with Tylenol. There's got to be environmental factors for the huge percentage of increase.

While attention deficit hyper-activity disorder is not specifically a characteristic of folks on the spectrum, in my experience of working with dyslexic, learning disabled, and ASD-spectrum students a higher percentage showed ADHD behaviors than the regular population of students did. I'd say 25-33 percent had attention issues. In the case of the ASD kids, many of them had a lot going on all the time.

I may be off-base but in observing them I thought in general many had random electrical activity occurring in their brains and bodies, where other neurologically different kids seemed to have more systematic, less random activity.