AS traits going away or improving on their own?

Post Reply New Topic

Has this ever happened to anyone here that they had an AS trait(s) that have disappeared or become less intense on their own?

Now, I just want to say that I'm not diagnosed, but I do have some traits of AS. As a personal example, when I was younger (than my current age of 19) I had difficulty with making eye contact, but over time that difficulty significantly decreased all on its own. Also as another example, I had difficulty understanding and recognizing sarcasm and, while I still have some difficulty with this today, this difficulty has also decreased on its own. I noticed that I became able to recognize the difference in vocal inflection/tone easier and quicker to identify when something is said sarcastically without me having to do anything. It just happened.
Does this mean that I may have more traits that will get better on their own?

Yes, research has actually shown that there are people whose Asperger's /Autism symptoms improve over time.

It is said that quite a few (at least 1 out 3) are able to "lose" their diagnosis by adulthood, while still maintaining certain symptoms. While "losing" their diagnosis, some of these adults still have adjustment problems which need addressing. Some also have "co-morbid" symptoms. Most of this is treatable--and there's no cause to think that living/existing is futile.

Obviously there's anecdotal evidence for this as well. I am an example of this. Before I was 5 years old, I exhibited symptoms of classic autism (in fact, I was diagnosed by one doctor with autism at around the age of 3 or 4 in the 1960s). I had no impulse control (e.g., knocking things off supermarket shelves), I had extreme difficulty in transitions, I did not speak, I did not initiate socially, I screamed many nights for hours. However, the summer of my sixth year (i.e., at the age of 5 1/2), most of these symptoms went away, to be replaced by primarily Aspergian symptoms, which improved over time, to the point where I was able to attain total independence (i.e., job, my own place) at the age of 20.

I still exhibit Aspergian-type symptoms--but I am seen as being "eccentric," usually, rather than "crazy, diseased, etc." I'm still not great with the eye contact, I have trouble with joint-attention, I enjoy acting like a kitty cat at age 53. I also say inappropriate things at times, and do not react well when other people are in distress (at times).

Hmm....... interesting to hear that this has happened to you as well

I was diagnosed as high functioning at age 24. My symptom's are the same only some are less severe and some are worse. Example: My meltdowns happen less because I realized I have to live alone. Other people caused most of my meltdowns. I still have problems understanding if someone is serious or joking. My executive functioning seems to have improved in some areas. I use to have problems with managing a checking account. But I use Debit and monitor my account online. I have only had one over draft since I started using debit. I don't think I have lost my HFA but can say that things have gotten easier as I have aged because I have learned how to adapt and find other ways to do things. As well as avoid things I know cause problems. I know I can't go to the drive thru at Mc Donalds because I have melt downs. So I learned when it's slow to go inside and order.

I've had some traits improve with age and some traits get much much worse.

-I'm much more rigid now than I was as a child.
-My executive functioning has gotten much worse since I now hold responsibility where my parents would have when I was younger.
-I don't have meltdowns or shutdowns nearly as often anymore because I know what to avoid.
-I've gotten more obsessive with things I'm interested in as I age.
-My sensory issues go through periods of improved and worse depending on stress levels.
-I have mastered polite friendly exchanges.

I would say that for everything to magically go away on it's own without something changing to affect it is pretty unlikely if you're on the spectrum. Although, you can gain experience with yourself and traits and things can become easier through time and adjustments. I think it'd be more typical for people on the spectrum to not have less difficulties, but for their difficulties to change a bit. I will also point out that things like difficulty with eye contact can change greatly depending on stress levels. I know that if I'm out of my mind overwhelmed that I won't even be looking in the direction of the person I'm talking to, but if I'm calm and making light conversation then I'm able to scan and meet at the eyes on occasion.

Yeah, in some people things improve. I'd have been diagnosed in a heartbeat as a kid, had very little social awareness, serious tree/forest problems, the usual stuff. As a middle-aged adult I'm still tactless and prone to talking-at -- I do it professionally now, as a university lecturer and writer -- but am more aware of social contexts and their value, contexts in general I guess.

I was paying attention last year while I was teaching, just checking the eye-contact thing, and actually I hardly ever make eye contact while talking. Sometimes while listening. Nobody seems to care and I don't see it as a problem. The bigger problem is that I'm nearly inaudible to most people - faulty aural wiring, my voice sounds very loud to me when in fact I'm speaking v. softly.

I'm not really sure I'm any better organised than I was as a kid -- as a young kid, sure, but beyond that, no. I just sort of make the mental rounds of what I'm supposed to take care of often enough that so far not many spinning plates have fallen off the sticks. Which is kind of amazing, really.