Proposal: include grading of autism in diagnosis.

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This is hard to answer in a short answer.
Prior or along with developing task initiation and goal-directed persistence skills, an ASD child needs to learn a sense of time and time management skills.
Task initiation applies to tasks that need to get done but we are reluctant to do, so we make ourselves do. Tasks we find unpleasant, objectionable, or mind-numbing. Teaching starts with preschool kids when we prompt them to do the task and then supervise at least the start of the task while they do it. It matures with the establishment of routines like morning or bedtime routines. The child is taught child that certain things have to be done at a set time each day in a set sequence. Songs and books about the routine are shared so the child understands that this is what is expected in a fun way (http://www.4mylearn.org/Bookshelf/Songs ... akeup.html). A visual sequence the child helped develop is placed in the child?s room along with an analog clock and picture of what the task looks like when properly completed (http://www.4mylearn.org/Bookshelf/Downl ... hedule.pdf). The sequence can have pictures of clocks. The parent provides prompting and cuing that is gradually removed as the child internalizes the routine. Independent action is strongly praised and rewarded in the beginning. The best way to teach task initiation is giving children developmentally appropriate chores to do prior to play.
Goal-directed persistence refers to setting a goal and working toward it without being diverted by other interests. It is taught with delayed gratification. Both build self-confidence and self-esteem. Goal-directed persistence is learned every time a child is encouraged to keep trying even when something is hard. The child is taught that mastering new skills takes time, practice, and effort, praised for sticking with something demanding and rewarded with what the child really wants but doesn't have free access to. In the beginning they learn through chores, discussed above, enjoyable activities such as games and sports, earning an allowance so they can buy what they want. Starting with very brief tasks where the goal is clearly within sight. The child is reminded what he is working toward. The child is encouraged to stretch to reach more distant goals, begin with ones that the child wants to work on.
Prior or along with developing organization skills, an ASD child needs to learn a sense of external space. External space is space that exists outside of their current line of site. Beek-A-Boo and toys under a blanket start teaching this concept. Involving the child in multi-person activities started in the same room then people continue in another room, then rejoin. A child learns that organization increases predictability and reduces stress. By organizing we establish and maintain a system for arranging or keeping track of important items. Teaching organization starts in infancy with bookcases, toy boxes, and laundry hampers used to keep their rooms and play areas neat, limiting the number of toys available at one time, involving the child with replacement, putting away old toy and selecting new, and rules of what is allowed where, such as where they can eat. The parent puts an easily maintained system in place, provides the child pictures of properly maintained, and coaches the child on how to use the system. As the child gets older he/she becomes involved in tailoring and extending the system for new important items.