The sixth episode of the second phase of the Charlie Rose Brain Series aired May 11, 2012, and addressed the topic of autism. Charlie and co-host Eric Kandel welcomed as panelists: Gerald Fischbach of The Simons Foundation, Uta Frith of University College London, Matthew State of Yale University, and Alison Singer of the Autism Science Foundation.
The introduction by Charlie and overviews by Eric Kandel and Gerald Fischbach are included in the clip below. I believe they provide a straightforward, concise, and understandable overview of the history and current knowledge about the spectrum of autistic syndrome. (11:28)