Autism

I wonder if autism is an evolutionary step forward, like in X-Men. Based on the autistic people I have known and talked to, including autistic kids, this seems like a distinct possibility.

Its a very broad term and some autisms aren't an advantage in anything, but certainly many autists are a gift to humanity.
They don't tend to procreate, though. I think it wil remain an occasional benevolent anomaly. Rather than the genes, the work of autisms is sure to have a substantial part in humanity's work as a whole.

Autisms is generally considered to carry with it a lack of ability to empathize. Sometimes a person appears to be autistic because he is too empathic, and isn't able to push out his inner world in a reaction.

Yes and they tend to be brutally honest, which I like. If autism is genetic in some way rather than just a consequence of damage from environmental toxins, then a drive to brutal honesty is sort of like a "mutant power" in my view.

So much of empathy is based on superficial social norms and self-imposed weakness and blindness to truths, a will to failure; I like empathy but not when it breeds this weakness. Autistics could possibly learn empathy with less bullshit.