> This is more or less not true. If it doesn't hinder a person in any aspect of their life, they don't fit the DSM-V criteria for a diagnosis.

You're confusing autism itself with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Spectrum Disorder indeed has to do with difficulties ("deficits" / "impairment"). Autism itself on the other paw is a physical, quantifiable difference in neural architecture. Autistic people think and work differently, whether they have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder or not.

It's also worth noting that autism is not the only neurodivergence, it's just the most widely known one (IIRC).

For reference, my copy of the DSM-5 states the following diagnostic criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder: (sub-items elided)

> A. Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts, as manifested by the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive; see text): [...]

> B. Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, as manifested by at least two of the following, currently or by history (examples are illustrative, not exhaustive; see text): [...]

> Symptoms must be present in the early developmental period (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities, or may be masked by learned strategies in later life).

> D. Symptoms cause clinically significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning.

> E. These disturbances are not better explained by intellectual disability (intellectual developmental disorder) or global developmental delay. Intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder frequently co-occur; to make comorbid diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, social communication should be below that expected for general developmental level.