Despite Asperger's? Or because of it?

When thinking about the impacts of autism and Asperger's Syndrome, it is hard not to focus on the negative aspects. Even the occasional "silver lining" is most often considered in a negative sense, as in this quote from icBirmingham - Oxford is Jos's final destination:

Despite suffering from Asperger's Syndrome, a mild form of autism, the youngster has already proved himself one of the country's brightest children.

If we were to say, "Because he suffers from Asperger's Syndrome...", and acknowledge that some good things can (note I don't say "do") come from ASD's, would that be admitting defeat in our efforts to cure them? Does it necessarily mean that we accept them as just something we have to live with?

I'm a glass half-full kind of guy, so I prefer to think that we can accept (embrace?) the good while still working to eliminate the bad. What do you think?