Hello. I'm the father of an autistic boy, too (nine-years old). I suppose it's easier on us than it is on some people because our son is able to hug, kiss, and tell us he loves us. In fact, because our son is able to communicate, we haven't really considered it a disorder, so much as a different way of thinking. I've even entertained the notion that autism represents the beginnings of a new phase of human development. For example, when dinosaurs first evolved feathers and flightless wings, those developments seemed "useless". It was only later that they took flight. Think about it- we're in a computer age now and many autistic people end up in computer-related fields even as the rates of autism grow. That line of discussion is all very academic, though.
The real human issue is, at this point we're seeing a lot of people suffering. Whether that suffering is representative of "growing pains" or not, we all have to deal with the fallout, especially people with autism themselves.
I like to read Amanda Baggs' blog for more perspective. She's what would be considered a low functioning autistic person (she doesn't talk anymore), and before we had an internet, she would have been institutionalized without a voice. Thankfully, we live in a age where technology is allowing people like her to express themselves. She's a brilliant writer- to such a degree that some hard-headed folks think she's part of a hoax. In their minds, there's no way that there's a "real person" inside her body.
Here's a link to her blog:
http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org search for movies about her on her site and Youtube for a more visceral understanding. She does them herself.
She's helped reinforce to me that no matter how distant an autistic person seems face to face, there's just as much going on inside as there is with everyone else.
I hope this didn't come across as preachy or anything. I'm also not trying to sound critical of anyone posting to this thread. This is more for anyone who might be lurking and thinking that autism is something that it isn't, and that autistic people aren't as human as the rest of us. Sadly, there are people who think that way.