A moving and hopeful piece from the NYT: Along the Autism Spectrum, a Path Through Campus Life.
To varying degrees and for varying and not well-understood reasons, these kids, even if quite bright, do not fit in well in most settings. Their behavior and demeanor make others uneasy. While many people do not fit in well, "spectrum" people have qualitatively different challenges. It's in their hard-wiring. Many or most would like to function as normally as possible, so programs like the above offer some hope.