Many people, when they hear the word "autism," think of media images. Of course, Rain Man jumps to mind (the math savant with virtually no imagination, empathy or social skills).

Right now, Jason McIlwain the basketball player is also front and center (great kid with terrific athletic skills!). In fact, one of the hottest Google search terms right now is -- "autism basketball!"

The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night is a recent novel that features a young man with certain traits that cross the line between Aspergers and more classic autism. He's also a math savant who aces his math and physics "A" levels (he's British).

From my perspective, these images are a bit troubling. They promote an expectation that individuals with autism are likely to have some outstanding skill -- and few other redeeming features. Yet autistic "savants" are really quite unusual -- while interesting, creative autistic people are everywhere!

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