I think that people with NVLD have intact social drive and social motivation and if someone with NVLD does not think about being loved (for example by parents or siblings) and having close friendship, then that person should be considered autistic (I think that core of autism is pathological nonconformism, diminished social needs, motivation and drive, it is something like schizoid disorder which lasts since childhood). Other important symptoms of autism are social inadequacy (for example lack of thinking about looking at eyes) and peculiarity of emotions, though content and behavior. For me autism is not necessary about sensory processing issues and anomalies, non-verbal thinking, speech delay, need of sameness, speech delay, weak central coherence and even deficit of intuitive theory of mind - they are symptoms of just one, quite popular, sort of autism - someone with "simple autism" (name formed analogously to the term "simple schizophrenia" in which there are no most "classic" symptoms of schizophrenia like delusions and hallucinations) with no desire of being loved (possibly with the exception of sexual or romantic partner), no craving of close friendship, marked dyssemia and bizarre thoughts and emotional processing may be sometimes lower functioning that someone with "traditional" variant of autism (with the same level of intelligence and functional language) - comorbid disorders and environmental factors may also strongly contribute to level of functioning of individual with an aucorigy (developmental disorder characterised by "autocontrast" and "originality" (low social skills despite higher IQ and being "odd", "strange")).