Autism is a developmental disability of the brain, much like dyslexia, mental retardation, or attention deficit disorder. Autism is not a form of mental retardation, and though many autistic people appear to function as retarded, they are frequently quite intelligent. There are many things you might think about us, but often they are not true. However, the road to Hell is paved with the best of intentions. There's no normal child hidden behind the autism.
Autism is a way of being.
It does not make people sick, and it does not kill people. There are different opinions about how much suffering and misery autism causes. Some people do suffer a lot from it, while for others the suffering is caused primarily by other people, not by autism. I do remember one statement made by the local Autism Expert TM . Maybe we can help you reduce anxiety so you won't have to rely on your keyboard.