I wouldn't call wondering if someone has Autism or Asperger's derogatory! Both are just part of who a person is. A dear friend of mine's son has Asperger's - as a small child his obsession was "yellow flowers" a.k.a. dandelions to you and me. The child in the original story's "intense interest" in vacuum cleaners reminded me of him. I like dandelions, I just don't need to posess every one I see, as did my friend's son. I was interested in "neat rocks" when I was a child (okay, still am), but even though they were "free" ... my parents (wisely) limited the number I could take home from any particular trip to the beach for example, so their home didn't fill up with them, and I was okay with that.