Some people are unhappy with aspects of dividing autism conditions into a linear spectrum of different "functionalities". (linear with the exception of that HFA and AS are generally on the same spot on the functionality dimension)

Personally I'm abit nitpicking at people who say that low-functioning autistics must equal "more autistic" than people high-functioning. Maybe more "low-functioning" depending on what definition you use, but more autistic? Maybe if that's your personal definition of "more autistic", but I'm not so sure if I'd accept that definition.

I like saying that you're either autistic or not, while the spectrum is multi-dimensional, ie the spectrum isn't a linear spectrum, maybe a three-dimensional one, but in reality most likely more dimensions than that even. But the spectrum structure I want to present should be simplified to just a few dimensions.

For each dimension you have a characteristic or group of associated characteristics found in autistic people, eg sensory issues. Divergence in some of these dimensions might be classed as disabilities more than in others. Not all characteristics typical for autism needs to be in any of the dimensions in the spectrum structure.

You can place yourself on the spectrum whether or not you are identified as autistic, but people who are identified as autistic would likely diverge more or have similarities in common different from those neurotypical.

I guess it might sound complicated, but I hope it can be made simple and understandable.

Be aware of that if I ever wanted a such idea to become popular I wouldn't immediatly call it a replacement of the old spectrum structure. More of an alternate that could hopefully be considered more correct, professional and maybe more usefull for communities than the old structure.

I've been intending to write a complicated graph of various real and perceived abilities and how they've changed over my life and tell people that if they can find a single "functioning level" in the middle of all that crap, be my guest.

Well it's kind of hard to approach without falling into political correctness, and it might not be necessary for people to have increasingly specific definition of themselves, but I think the idea of a tree rather than a spectrum is accurate.