Temple Grandin, from “The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships,” a book about social interaction and autism:

I really think that some kids with ASD [autism spectrum disorder] need to be taken out of this social pressure cooker [high school] and allowed to finish up their degree online or within a different environment. A colossal amount of energy is needed just to manage the stress and anxiety that builds up every day in this type of environment; it leaves little left over for academics, and socializing with teenagers is not a skill I or others will use later in life.

Grandin says low-functioning kids with autism actually are better suited to being in a school environment. It’s the high-functioning autists — Aspies — who are in a more difficult situation. I can’t imagine how my Aspie son would handle school. He would be in horrible shape. It took him about a year to recover from one month of second grade. Seriously. He’s so hyperarticulate and mature-acting that many people who know him only casually can’t see how hard it is for him. But it is.