I think the "experts" have a lot wrong when it com

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Good point: it really is a spectrum. It can get annoyng when people assume that AS is a one-size-fits-all disorder and that everyone on the spectrum has difficulties with the same things at the same level of severity. People like to put things into categories and boxes though, and thus they acquire a "concept" of what autism is, and yes, this often includes it being cripping or negative just because it can limit people.

The reality is; you really do get a range of ablities and disablities under the autism umbrella, just like we have strengths and weaknesses among NTs. The reality is, with disorders of behaviour, diagnosis is subjective and thus many things can fall under the umbrella of autism and still be considered autism.

Depends on what you consider NT skills. Inability to read non-verbal cues is a criterion for diagnosis, which connects to a lot of other things. Most, if not all, people with AS I've met are higher-functioning in one area and lower-functioning in another. These areas differ, and I think you have to have a two or more symptoms specified in the DSM very strongly to qualify for AS. Yes, it's possible not to have sensory issues, for example, and still be AS. However, something else must be more strongly affected, then, like executive functioning.

Also a good point. Often one area of functioning is more strongly affected than another, which often confuses people who expect that all difficulties of AS are the same across the board for every individual. This is why I'm strongly in favour of things like person centered planning, where someone gets their individual difficulties addressed rather than having the planner follow the protocol of what is most likely to work for someone with AS...for an identical diagnosis may present completely differently in two individuals.