Once upon a time there was once a boy born in 1809 with an innate taste for natural history and a great fondness for collecting things. This child was Charles Robert Darwin, considered nowadays the father of the Theory of Evolution.
Once upon a time there was an introverted, insightful and intelligent child born in England. This child was Isaac Newton, one of the most important scientists from humankind history, known by his contributions in mathematics (calculus), optics (theory of light) and mechanics (laws of motion and universal gravitation).
These children that have had a much greater impact in our society than they could have thought, are believed to had Autism, a bio-neurological developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges.
Autism is known as spectrum disorder, because there is wide variation in the type and severity of symptoms people experience. The learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of people with ASD can range from gifted to severely challenged.
So, while most people when they think of a person with autism they think of the stereotype of a lonely, non-communicative boy with repetitive tics, the truth is that Autism Spectrum Disorder widely varies from person to person and we need to stop prejudging these people, whether they are gifted or challenged, and just treat them as they are, wonderful human beings just like you and I.