Beautiful minds, wasted: how not to squander the potential of autistic people
&gt;<i>A debate rages about when and how to include autistic children in mainstream classes.</i><p>Oh does this ever bring up a whole bag full of unpleasant childhood memories. I get that it&#x27;s difficult for those with disabilities to function in &#x27;normal&#x27; settings - I&#x27;ve got a physical handicap that is obvious from time to time (but hidden otherwise). In turn I never sought out activities for which I was an incorrect fit - you know, hockey, wrestling, soccer - they weren&#x27;t going to change the sport to make it easier for me to play, nor should I expect them to. We are not all equal.<p>If there&#x27;s a way to solve the mentioned debate, I think it will still take another 40 years for us to figure it out. We can&#x27;t even take care of Gifted and Talented students with any systemic, national and local support, to fulfill their potential. If we&#x27;re talking &quot;beautiful minds&quot; going to waste then, honestly, I think we should start with this end of the spectrum.<p>This article is, by and large, a plea for help and paints an extensively rosy and joyous picture of employing a person with the mentioned handicap. After half of my lifetime + change working in hourly or professional jobs, I did not particularly share the same optimism. Good help is hard to find, and that&#x27;s before even considering &quot;making little accommodations&quot; for potentially disruptive conditions. I&#x27;m just not quite so optimistic, but would love to see society figure a lot of this stratified talent capitalization out sooner rather than later.