I agree with King_Oni.
The only thing I'd like to add is: we can't always expect other people stand up for us, solve our problems, we have to be a part of a solution. I know for many of us it's not easy to advocate for ourselves and other people on Autism spectrum, but, I believe we absolutely must do our best.
Though I must add, I have my experiences that no matter how well I try to give my side of the story, some people just don't care to listen (and I'm talking about people that actually should care cause it's their job). As such I do sometimes wonder "why is it that we have to do
everything?". Just based on history of minority groups that weren't listened to (or at least weren't seen as a valid problem/threat) and had to take care of it all themselves, I'm surprised it hasn't gone terribly wrong and people were made to listen by means of violence (or worse). And most weren't because of a disability of sorts, but just because of other beliefs (by which I'm not referring to religion specifically). Or just look at random people that go crazy because they didn't get services they needed, since I"m quite sure not everyone who ended up doing something violent, did in fact think this was step 1. It was a last resort to make people listen. I'm not saying it's a good thing... but that's the result.
But perhaps the introvertness of most people on the spectrum is a way how it keeps itself in check and doesn't escalate.
And actually, looking at numbers of people on the spectrum that have some kind of shortcoming that is "essential" for society, those numbers speak for itself. Just here in The Netherlands (since I don't have numbers for the US); 1 in 100 has autism, that's on our population of just under 17 million, about 170.000 people on the spectrum. Out of those, roughly 80% is unemployed and about half of those receive disability income, the others are on social security. In a rough breakdown, it comes down to
~170.000 on spectrum
~34.000 employed
~136.000 unemployed
~68.000 on disability income and that same amount is on social security.
Obviously, you can take children in account, but since you're legally allowed to work from age 15 here I think it evens itself out somewhat. Some don't have a job while in school, and some aren't part of the jobmarket since they're underage. And if you look at those 34.000... the few people on the spectrum I know and have jobs have savant-like skills in 1 field. Gets more interesting if there wasn't any interest in their skills (say; a computer programmer in the time before computers. Since programming requires as specific mindset, much like some other professions. It's a matter of supply and demand, even for savant skills)
Headlines have already stated autism is an "epidemic". But clearly, any other epidemic gets money spent on it and fixed/supported. And that's clearly not the case for autism.
So I really wonder... people aren't doing their best or is it that there needs to be more support from the other side? If my contact at social services doesn't know what autism is (even if it's supposedly a big problem or, as stated earlier, an "epidemic"), because the government doesn't see use to educated people in that field by means of a small informational course, I think that's plenty of cause for alarm in terms "why can't people listen to us". Even with my diagnosis on paper I come across as making up psychological disorders to them.