Hey Bill, I got an Idea!

I would like to do a half funny, half serious analysis of a problem that I, and my other namesake, Bill Gates share a common interest in. If successful, since we share a same name, I would like to humbly request a mear 1/2% of his wealth or even salary!

Bill is concerned over the lack of technical workers available in the US. He is proposing we 'beef up' our education process to better train our children in the ways of science and mathmatics.

ARTICLE
Gates also called on lawmakers to give more resources and attention to improving the teaching of math and science — knowledge essential to many of today's jobs. Another recent federal study found 40 percent of high school seniors failed to perform at the basic level on a national math test. On a national science test, half of 12th-graders didn't show basic skills.

"We simply cannot sustain an economy based on innovation unless our citizens are educated in math, science and engineering," Gates said.

Legislation moving through the Senate, backed by Democratic and Republican leaders, seeks to get more people to become math and science teachers and would improve training for them. The bill also seeks to get more highly trained teachers in poor schools and would offer grants to states to better align their teaching with what kids should know to succeed at a job or in college.

Well, I have an addendum to this legislation... let's figure out better ways to educate the autistic. After all, many are technically inclined, task and number oriented and are maybe more than willing to take on the drier, less social oriented demands brought on by many jobs in this field.

Gates said the nation's economy depends on keeping the country's borders open to highly skilled workers, especially those with a science or engineering background. Federal law provides 65,000 H1-B visas for scientists, engineers, computer programmers and other professionals every budget year. High-tech and other employers say that's not enough.

Hey, Aspies can fill that 65K !
If we look at the numbers from the IOTA consortium (Institute of Thin Air for those in the know), we have some 1,000,000 autistics in the population. If 70% are able to function in society on an independent basis and we say that less than 10% of those are under educated, we have our 65K target.
I know I'm over generalizing saying autistics are prone to science, engineering and computers; but it's better than saying they are prone to head-banging, feces smearing and are just 'shells'!

Anyway, with this Austistic (or Aspie)Improvement Act, we would identify those children on the spectrum, put them into accelerated classes in their specialty of choice, and have them out in the workforce in less than 10-12 years! The only need is to have some choice classrooms and specially trained teachers who can learn to deal with the special educational challenges of autism.

Hey, we can even IMPORT Aspies from other 3rd world countries. The US could become a hub for autism training. We could have a technical university to rival MIT (MIT is already devising ways to syphon off our best talent, no doubt-- we'd probably be syphoning off theirs!). Heck if we need to fill in some seats, we could even reinstitute thimeresol in vaccines and manufacture autistics if you believe the rhetoric being espoused!

I really think that Mr Gates would go for it. After all, he is a closet Aspie, right?

PS
Case and Point, they're already getting started with the design!