It's the place where smart people make smart machines work even smarter. It's also in the heart of sunny California, a great place to start a family and raise kids. What could be better? But something is happening to their children. Up until the age of two they develop normally. But then everything seems to go backwards. The children become locked into their own small world, unable to communicate at all. They call it the "curse of Silicon Valley," but the medical name for the condition is autism . It used to be thought that autism was a kind of mental illness. Now doctors are sure that it is a neurological disease transmitted genetically. It seems that the people leading the communications revolution are having children who cannot communicate at all. But even the parents have trouble communicating. Asperger's Syndrome is a mild version of autism. People who have it are highly intelligent and often brilliant with numbers or system but have no social skill. This very combination of symptoms makes Asperger's sufferers into ideal computer professionals. The Asperger's sufferer has always been a well--known figure in popular culture. He or she was the eccentric but dedicated scholar or the strange uncle or auntie who never married. But the high numbers of such people in Silicon Valley mean that they can meet others who understand them and share their interests. And while they might not be personally attractive, they can earn truly attractive amounts of money. They can get married and have kids. Unfortunately, many of the children of two Asperger's parents seem to be developing serious autism. There is little anyone can do. It takes hours of work just to make autistic child realize that anyone else exists. And there is no cure in sight. Some argue that no cure should be found. "It may be that autistics are essentially different from normal people, but that these differences make them invaluable for the evolution of the human race," says Dr. Kirk Whilhelmsen of the University of California. "To eliminate the genes for autism could be disastrous. " It seems that the children of Silicon Valley are paying the price of genius. Why do people call autism "curse of Silicon Valley"?
Because autistic people live in Silicon Valley. Because many people working in Silicon Valley have autism children. Because people with autism will be driven out of Silicon Valley. Because people with autism are not personally attractive and not liked by others.