The idea is a variation on one that's somewhat popular here: that some conditions usually regarded as mental illnesses (Asperger's for example) are beneficial, even adaptive.

I have a hypothesis that autism-spectrum conditions are less selected against and therefore proliferate as a result of increased background levels of literacy (increasing the amount of information you can acquire without direct interpersonal teaching). I haven't maintained enough interest in this hypothesis to see if there are any natural experiments to look at.