Where on the "spectrum"?

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Is the Autistic spectrum one dimensional, so that a person can place himself on it? Height is one dimensional, and I can place myself on it well: 5'7. However, I cannot be placed on an IQ spectrum; among people even at IQ 130, I would go right over their head in a scientific or philosophical discussion. But even with people with an IQ of 90, my short term memory problem would make a fool of me. If I actually took an IQ test and got one number, I would be entirely incompatible with other people with the same IQ number as me.
Autism is also considered a spectrum, and like IQ, it would be totally misleading to place me on it. I am both mild and severe, depending on which trait is considered. Thus a DSM description of me would be entirely misleading, just as my IQ would be.
Do you feel that a single placement on the autistic spectrum would be good enough to describe your general functioning level, or do you, like me, feel you are mild in one way, and severe in another?

I would place myself squarely on the "Asperger's" color of the Spectrum except for one thing: I had a speech delay as a child.

I like the idea of a three dimensional spectrum as I don't think that any of us can be 'pinned down' with precision. To start with, we are all different and as you pointed out we can be advanced in one area but lacking in another. Also, and this is just my observation, we change as we age. In some ways I am more capable now at age 60 than I was when I was 20. However, in some ways I am worse. For example eating out is much more uncomfortable now. I used to enjoy tea-rooms, cafes, etc but now they can be almost unbearably noisy. Bright lights, including sunlight can be much more painful than it used to be. So I prefer a ball shaped spectrum and our individual positions within it can change day by day if necessary without a problem. (I got this idea from the psychologist who diagnosed me. Not my original idea, unfortunately).

In ecology, they use the analogy of the n-dimensional hypervolume.

It is a space that can have n number of axes, each representing some measurable character.

Example: Available moisture axes
temp
precip
elevation
latitude
aspect
soil-water holding capacity

I have had one too many mental debates about where I 'fit in'. I, too, can place myself on what would be considered the high functioning level, as well as the low-functioning level. It all depends on whether I am having a 'good' day (had a good night's rest, and a quiet/calm day, the day before) or a 'bad' one (overstimulated). It can also be split within the same day. I can manage OK in one area, but I'll become a complete mess if the wind blows just right. It's a constant struggle to balance. Some parts of me are definitely severe (the hypersensitivity and the lack of emotional understanding, just to name two), yet people who do not know me will only see the mild/high functioning and peg me as normal, and therefore, expect too much of me. The most frustrating thing about that last bit is the fact that I will try my best to meet their expectations and standards, at the expense of my own well-being. Completely exhausting.

Relative to the autistic spectrum, Birdcloak (above) seems completely in the high functioning half. "High functioning autism" is not the same as high functioning, it is just higher than autistics who cannot talk, may just rock in the corner all day, fail IQ tests, etc; low functioning autism is very low functioning indeed. Asperger syndrome is high functioning for autism, but still may be much lower functioning than NTs.

My low functioning aspects are quite severe, no job, no friends, no degrees, no car, no worldly connections; aspies are usually much higher than me in these ways. But my low functioning aspects are not exactly the same as autism; I can talk very well, can be a very understanding friend, and have a high IQ.
On the other hand, my high functioning aspects are very high functioning; I do not resemble high or low functioning autistics; and I resemble middle level autistics even less.

Thus to place me on a spectrum that spans from a kid who just rocks in the corner to an aspie with a college degree, I am both and neither. I have "Brain in a Jar Syndrome" (a term I created); the "brain" is the high functioning part, and the "jar" is the low functioning part. It cannot at all be described as a position on the autistic spectrum.