This is six years old, and our knowledge of autism is moving incredibly fast. But it's a fascinating, easily watched, 13 minute talk by American writer Steve Silberman.
https://www.ted.com/talks/steve_silberman_the_forgotten_history_of_autism#t-815397
He's also written a book on autism - "NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity".
Here's a summary of his views:
"An autistic [man] named Zosia Zaks once said, "We need all hands on deck to right the ship of humanity." As we sail into an uncertain future, we need every form of human intelligence on the planet working together to tackle the challenges that we face as a society. We can't afford to waste a brain."
Amen to that.