I really don't get the sense that Monk had autism or Asperger's syndrome. To me his behavior seems to fall in line with what I know of bipolar disorders, especially perhaps "mixed states."
Regardless, he had his way of dealing with the world. . . and succeeded in time despite the inflexibility that could plague him. And because he resisted certain practices and behavior on the part of others, he was able to do so often on his terms, and there's real value in that.
I'm up to the second stay at the Blackhawk. This is a great book.