I think the core criterion is the social awkwardness, but the sensory issues are a serious problem in many, many cases of autism, and they make it impossible to operate in the environment where you're supposed to be social.
I'm a visual thinker, not a language-based thinker. My brain is like Google Images.
My mind sort of works like a search engine. You ask me something, and I start seeing pictures.
The squeeze machine is not going to cure anybody, but it may help them relax; and a relaxed person will usually have better behavior.
I get satisfaction out of seeing stuff that makes real change in the real world. We need a lot more of that and a lot less abstract stuff.
What I've tried to do is combine both my personal experiences with scientific research. I like to cross the divide between the personal world and the scientific world.