That seems to me to clash with the concept of an "autism spectrum" that includes both Asperger's and extreme forms where people are nonverbal, self-injure, and

That seems to me to clash with the concept of an "autism spectrum" that includes both Asperger's and extreme forms where people are nonverbal, self-injure, and are completely unable to function independantly in any kind of society. How could the latter possibly not be a disorder?