Is It Neurodiversity?

Althouse linked to a NYT article that continues to trouble me. It is an interview with someone who describes herself as a sociopath, which she contrasts with the rest of us, whom she calls "neurotypicals." That word jumped off the page for me, because it is usually associated with the concept "not autistic," rather than "not antisocial." I am reluctant to lay this at the feet of Aspies in any way.

I have already gotten ahead of myself here.  Going back to the article, which is unlocked rather than behind a paywall, she talks about "masking," and consciously imitating what other people are doing, because you have noted that it isn't coming naturally for you for some reason and you want to be part of the rest of us. That is very much the language of many on the spectrum, or of the people trying to help them fit in. To my eyes, I'm not seeing a sex difference here whether men or women are more likely to consciously mask and imitate, though there may be some research on it that I have missed. The stereotype would be that it is women who would notice not being like the other girls and taking steps to correct that, but i have some pretty spectacular examples otherwise. Small sample size, though. 

This seems quite different from the sociopathy usually described, of a person who does see that others have needs but even then doesn't particularly bother about that.  I give her credit though most of Ann's commenters don't.  Even though she doesn't have this fellow-feeling we expect from others, she seems to recognise that it's good for society, and she likes how things go in good places, and she should try to fit into this.  There are people with more inborn conscience who can't do this.

And yet I can see how some of it might be related to autism. I don't think of sociopathy of being neurological, even though I see it as having a large genetic component - which shows how asleep at the switch I've been.  "So this relationship meets your needs.  What about the needs of your partner?" Oh, I hadn't thought of that. Yes, I suppose that's important.  I should do that, shouldn't I? That doesn't sound unkind at all. Not selfishness in the usual sense. I think of Monty Python and "It looks like I'm down a pound." He is mostly puzzled by the concept at first and we might think that the importuning man might even teach him something and soften him.  Well that doesn't happen here.

I have not run across other sociopaths who talk like Ms. Gagne, so I am wondering if she is some ASD variant rather than an APD variant, and has mostly mislabeled herself.  Or is that just a convenient explanation that allows me to keep my previous categories?