The history of Autistic Psychopathy/Aspergers specifically, which has a direct throughline to the modern concept of autism, is inexorably tied to the history of Austrian and later Nazi eugenics. Sterilisation was supported especially more by Nazi hardliners, although catholics tended to support voluntary abstinence. Involuntary euthanasia was practiced, not openly, against the autistics deemed to be life unworthy of life - of no use to the Volk - who lacked gemüt (Soul, spirit, etc). Those deemed at one time redeemable, but ruined by their parents were also purged. Those deemed more useful, brilliant, geniuses in the sciences, with good Nazi parents, but with lacking gemüt due to their hyper-masculine nature, were to be rehabilitated and treated with patience and understanding, but even there reproduction was to be AT LEAST discouraged. The ideal Nazi autistic was either dead, or like a worker bee, sterile and working tirelessly for the good of National Socialism and the breeding stock Aryans. One of the goals the child welfare system had was identifying which category each child fell into as young as possible, so as to treat them accordingly with haste.
We also have the western eugenics movements, and while autism wasn't really conceived in their heyday, they had much more of a family-centric take on eugenics, although it was still at the time largely oriented around the good of the welfare state.
For the autistic activist, nothing makes more sense than to stymie such research, as autism's diagnostic prevalence expands each year, seemingly driven largely by a loosening definition of autism, so to delay the research which enables eugenics, people are going to see Autistics as having relatively high gemüt and productivity compared to the past, which should discourage eugenics. They plainly value the right/value of the existence of autistics/themselves, above the potential reduction of suffering allowed by such research. Eugenics after all never actually died and remain popular, it's just become politically incorrect to openly admit to supporting or doing it, and we're currently engaging in a quite successful eugenics campaign against downs syndrome[1], oh, and the ongoing eugenics against autistics [2]. Perhaps these autistic activists would have more confidence in such research if modern eugenics were not legal, accepted, and practiced against them? Or perhaps they should just get over their own egos and admit that this research is for the good of the Volk, which is certainly a take I've heard from autistics themselves.
That all being said - metabolic research is probably going to be less controversial than say genetic research, since it's unclear that you can use the former to facilitate selective abortions or screen sperm donors. So I think in this case, the self-declared neurodivergent leaders will let this slide, as if such research can't be used for eugenics but makes autistics more popular it should make eugenics less likely, not more likely.
[1] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fully-human/202101/i...
[2]. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3377811/Britain-s...