Remarkable story. My husband and his nephew have Asperger's, the traits seem to run in his family in the males. I do not know if vaccines are or aren't a factor, as there is so much conflicting and confounding variables, not to mention suspected historic cases of it existing before vaccines (Da Vinci, Einstein, et al).

My husband contracted typhoid fever was he was 10 months old and came moments away from dying from it. His physical growth was stunted, but his mind was always brilliant from a young age. (He taught himself meteorology at age 7 and computer programming at age 8.) His siblings are neuro-typical, yet they all have creative skills that they naturally gravitate towards. But the difference between theirs and my husband's is that his interests become hyper-focused obsession. He can detach himself from this world and lapse into his own dimension, a super power-like characteristic of being on the spectrum where he and his interest become one.

The mind is fascinating.