There's plenty of literature about autism circulating throughout many sources. Why not pick something written by an autistic? Especially if you desire to capture a feel for the essence and reality of autism verses assumptions pertaining to biased clinical studies. Need a place to start? Here's a few suggestions:

1. Autism and the Myth of the Person Alone by Douglas Biklen, et al.

2. Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism by Dawn Prince-Hughes

3. Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison

4. Nobody Nowhere: the Extraordinary Autobiography of an Autistic by Donna Williams

5. How Can I Talk If My Lips Don't Move: Inside My Autistic Mind by Tito Rajarshi Mukhopadhyay

Visit your local library, bookseller, or online source to obtain a copy of the above mentioned titles. Then give yourself a pat on the back!