There are different types of autism; and, different levels of how it affects interaction with the world around them, and other people.
When my eldest daughter told me that she thought her younger sister had Apsberger Syndrome (sp?), I had no idea what that was. I looked it up, and, yes, she fit a lot of the symptoms. Of course, I realized that I fit a lot of the symptoms as well. It helped a bit, to know that there were actually other people as weird as I am. But, I believe the Psychiatric Community has since cancelled this "syndrome", so I don't know what I think anymore; but, it was listed as being under a "autism" spectrum.
Not every autistic child is beating his head against a wall. Some just have trouble relating to other people outside of their family group, who are used to them.
One place where conventional psychology really bombs out is in the spiritual sphere.
A child who is really spiritually sensitive may be led by perceptions of things that more “normal” people scarcely notice, if notice at all.
A spiritual counselor, and/or a pastor, may be the best resource to discuss matters with such a child.