I have a very good friend who is autistic. She is a very bright girl and I love her so much, she just does not have the greatest social skills and she is the first one to admit it.
Edit: Also, for those who are not clear on what exactly autism is, I highly recommend reading this book. It is written by an autistic mute Japanese boy. It's a short book but very educational. You can also find the PDF online for free if you want to read it but don't have the money.
There are also several TED talks about autism, also very good to watch. You might be surprised by some of the things autistic people have done for our society. Very brilliant, very misunderstood minds.
There is also a book called The Reason I Jump, which is also an interesting read.