He was charming, frustrating and ultimately lovable. But Raymond Babbitt, the autistic character played by Dustin Hoffman in the 1988 film “Rain Man,” was also a card counter. When Raymond won big in Las Vegas, a cliché was born.

Since then, the idea that autistic people can possess unusual abilities has been lodged in our collective consciousness. The number of autism diagnoses has skyrocketed in recent decades, and The Times reported that in the United States, the disorder is said to affect nearly one in 100 children.

There can be comfort in believing an autistic child might grow up to be a savant. The real world can be a frightening and lonely place for people with autism, and many wind up living at home with their parents in adulthood.

But new efforts to integrate autistic people into the workforce seek to change that.

[Read more of this column in the Writing section.]