Well, this one is claimed to have a documented autism history stretching back for 16 years - it does not sound like something concocted for enlistment disqualification purposes. If true, then the recruiters screwed up.
The army has relaxed its stand on ADD/ADHD(which btw is generally FAR FAR more minor than autism/PDD or even Aspergher's). Any history of ADD/ADHD used to be an automatically disqualifying, but now one just has to have functioned for a year off meds.
Autism, on the other hand: On the severe end, autism results in institutionalization because they are either violent or functionally retarded. Some severe autistics never learn to talk or get toilet trained, or they may engage in self-injurious behavior such as head-banging or biting their hands well beyond the point of bleeding. On the mild end, Aspergher's interferes with social functioning, which can lead to difficulty maintaining jobs/relationships, [b]handling stressful or unexpected situations[/b], or understanding social cues. Also, autism often either improves or worsens in adolescence, though it can't be grown out of.
Jared, who didn't learn to talk until he was four years old, appears to have been in between the above two extremes.
Also, people like Bill Gates tend to be undiagnosed for a reason. Any social issues have not interfered with their school or job functionality, so they don't even qualify for a diagnosis. I don't think self-diagnosed Aspergher's counts.
I still think it's crazy that ADD was an absolute disqualifier but someone who didn't know that there's been an Iraq war going on for the last few years was almost allowed to enlist.