My theory is that the neuro-pathways in the brain which grow almost hedge-like, carrying information and data. New skills, new experiences, different learnt behaviours and the like open up new neuro-pathways. As old skills, memories and the like are not needed, the brain will "prune" them. This is like clearing your computer of unwanted files to make it run better. In the child's formulative years, they are inundated with a large amount of these neuro-pathways. Children with autism/asperger's, grow these pathways at a rate superior than non-autistic children and these pathways are not able to be "pruned". The result is a brain which crammed full of many connections. Therefore the autistic person recieves too much information and has not got filtering or the ability to "prune" to the level of their NT peers. The effects would be overloading, under-responsive, mix messages, confused messages, and missing out on some information.
Oh well that is mine.
I do like this theory a lot, but there seems to be something a bit "elitist" about it, in so much as you say we grow these pathways at a "superior rate."
I do know my brain is like a massive book, I remember a lot of different sensory experiences and can recall and almost "re-experience" them on a whim, I also have memories before the age of 3 (they have to be triggered, but I do have some), and new information is often overstimulating (hence my need to be alone/by myself a lot, as a "protective" measure) and getting "what's important" takes a while for me... it has to be "sorted out" properly over time, or something like that. In general I have extraordinary longterm memory but very poor short-term working memory.
How bout this, for all you folks who tell me "just ADD/avoidant personality". I even have a cognitive profile/memory skills which match with the spectrum.
What's more is that 3 out of 4 males on my father's side are intellectual science freaks, and my father was in chemistry and preferred his work to socializing (he loved his job.) The fourth brother of my father is a carpenter/cabinetmaker who has an odd inflection of voice and is a complete perfectionist about his work--basically he can't do a job without making it perfect. He also demands everything be done specifically (which appears to be systemizing, to my eyes) or he goes nuts and starts bickering.
I could go on and on about this but I don't feel the need to. I feel I have provided ample evidence for Aspieness in my time here, and if anyone needs to categorize me outside the spectrum, anymore, then shame on you.