Do AS traits become more apparent with age?

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For most of my life I've had pretty obvious ADHD traits and some AS traits, but the ADHD took the upper hand and was definitely more noticeable to everyone around me. I am now 25 and I feel like the ADHD has subsided considerably(although it comes and goes) and AS traits are starting to project themselves.

I've been on and off stimulants and anti-depressants for a good portion of my life, this may have something to do with it but I've been medication free for the last few years and this seems to be the natural course my brain is taking.

Is this common?

My aspie traits are the same. My childhood is full of daydreaming and its just that I have learned to control those symptoms. There are other symptoms that are really hard to get rid of such as keeping up a conversation.

I find that mine are the same.

the older i've gotten, the more addled i've become. gawd, i hope i don't become totally senile before i croak, i feel half-senile as it is.

i actually think the opposite.

It can happen. Or not. Depends on the individual.

If you haven't yet read this, you might find it interesting:

"Help! I Seem to be Getting More Autistic!"
by Amanda Baggs
http://www.autistics.org/library/more-autistic.html

MDP, have you considered that maybe it's because you are progressing that you are recognising your behaviours as 'strange'?

Just a thought. Personally, I've found mine have definitely decreased due to increased exposure to people and being forced into uncomfortable situations. Wasn't fun at the time, but it helped no end.

As I grew older I become more NT-ish in my external behavior. I am adapting to the NT world with some skill. I am now 74 years of age and have no trouble "passing" for normal. My main trick is to hide my literal mindedness.

ruveyn

Generally speaking, I think the visibility of AS traits tends to diminish as we learn coping skills and filters to compensate for our deficits. However, if AS traits are masked by more prominent traits from other conditions, then their relative presentation may come forward as the other condition abates, even if there has not been a progression in absolute terms.

I do think this is true, somewhat. In the past I thought that all of my quirks were just "me" and I wasn't really associating them with anything serious. Now I see that a lot of them may point to AS, but at the same time I'm having a much more difficult time pulling myself out of this. I've gone into withdrawal from people before but I was always able yo pull myself out of it when I was ready or was forced into social situations, then the behaviors would subside. However, these last few years, even before I contemplated AS, I just haven't been able to "snap out of it". I'm pretty sure I ruined my last relationship because of this. Looking back I actually did some things that screamed AS. I've been through these kinds of phases before, though. I don't think this is a permanent change but I hope I'm getting closer to coming out of it.

When I used to work in the everyday world I tried very hard to 'fit in' but it was exhausting and I never really succeeded. Having to be someone I was not took a real toll. But, for the last 15 years I've worked at home or in the evenings pretty much alone or with family. I very seldom have to deal with anyone outside of my small group. So, for me various traits have become more apparent as I've gotten older..but only because I dropped the facade and allowed myself to be who I am.

My experience is that as I have gotten older, my AS has become less apparent to others but more apparent to me.

My AS traits are becoming more pronounced as I age. To a noticeable degree just in the past two years. I'm 29.

How can you tell whether your traits are becoming stronger/more apparent, or you're just becoming more aware of them?

In my case, I'm getting feedback from others who feel I've been getting worse. It isn't only my own opinion.

Well, I am 40. My memory has gotten worst with age. My anxiety and nervousness was less severe like when I was a kid or teenager. I was finally able to handle being around crowds then I got laid off for a long time causing me not to have as much exposure to people to build an immunity to them I guess. I am experiencing old behaviors I thought were gone like getting sweaty, avoiding eye contact. jumping when people talk to me when I am not ready to talk to them, the constant moving of my head to scan my surroundings, and looking very nervous as soon as I enter a store or office. I dread going in for job interviews because I am at my worst right now.