My Mother is an Anti-Vaccination idiot.

[The Valkyrie]

Hi vorlon.

Yes, I think autism has always been with humanity. The numbers have grown now to the point where it is noticeable in the population.

Remember that quiet kid at school? The one with the funny mannerisms and slightly obsessive behaviour that no one would play with? Odds are a sure bet that he/ she was autistic or "on the spectrum". Treatment was via coping mechanisms taught to these kids so they grew up with eccentricities that the majority of the population didn't pay any attention to. Even today, these 'coping mechanisms' are a main tool in helping those on the autistic spectrum.

If I remember correctly.... Mozart, Einstein, Newton, and many other famous identities were "autistic". As I said, it is just that now the global population is at such a high level that the numbers of these people have become significant and a societal issue to be addressed. Have you ever heard of Temple Grandin? Currently a vociferous advocate for those on the spectrum. She apparently has finished her doctorate and is currently a professor at Colorado uni.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Grandin
She is also autistic

And the "rise" in the number of identified autistics has nothing to do with vaccines, it's due to the fact that many ailments have been reclassified as autism since the 1980s.