Do you feel more autistic on some days than on others?

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Yes! That seems to work as a strategy for myself as well. I think sleep and exercise help a bit, but if I make a conscious effort not to rush through things (especially social interactions), then I can do a better job of approaching "normal," whatever that is really like.

When I originally posted, I was hoping I wasn't writing anything offensive by using the phrase "less autistic," but in learning about myself with my recent diagnoses, I am discovering just what makes me a person with Asperger's and I was questioning why at certain times I feel those things at a much diminished level. But as Alex says, "It's not good or bad, it's just a difference."

Some therapist

Yes my Aspie traits go up and down a lot. I wish I knew more about what governs the process. Used to think it was stress and fatigue at having to deal with too many people, and that solitude and rest was the key to recuperation, but I just spent a week going out and socialising, and felt great until I took a breather for 3 days. Now I feel sad and kind of shaky and scared, for no apparent reason. Theoretically I should be feeling like that while the company is around, and I should now be getting my breath back for my next set of social encounters. Maybe the shock of doing well socially has frazzled my neurones?

It depends. Emotional stress tends to make me much more sensitive to things like noise and smells. In situations that are not stressful, I can pass if I choose. Sickness or injuy that is bad enough can shake the facade. Under normal circumstnces, the extent to which I try depends on the company and my mood.

Yep and also traits appear and disappear over a period of time.

Which are both an implication of autism being caused by enviromental factors.

Not necessarily. The environment may cause stress which in turn causes autistic traits to become apparent, but that doesn't mean that the environment causes the autism, just that environmental factors cause the autism to be more visible.

I do! I frequently say to my husband, "I'm feeling really aspie (or autistic) today." This mainly means I'm feeling more hypersensitive than usual to sensory stuff and that I'm having more trouble than usual verbally articulating thoughts.

However, those things are always present. It's just that some days are smoother/easier than others. As others have pointed out, I think it has to do with energy level and stress etc. Also preparation. Being caught off guard never goes well for me.

I can really relate to this, some days I can't even talk and people think I'm just ignoring them, but other days I can function without too much of a problem.

Stress also causes me to display more "autistic" behaviour, I see it as some sort of self-protection.

Yeah it goes up and down. In certain places and situations and with certain people my social problems tend to vary, the more people I'm with the more detached I am from them and the harder it is to join in with the socialising.
Over the years it's fluctuated like crazy and traits have gone, some have come back, some got worse, some just stayed put, some went milder but didn't completely go etc etc.

I have a period of social isolation for a few months now, before that it was only a day, maybe a week.
But I am happy this way, instead of pretending to be all cheerful to the outside world, I'm actually cheerful inside.

I even started hand-/finger-flapping again, jumping up and down when excited. And it feels so good.

Not exactly, but environmental factors might exacerbate certain tendencies in autistics.

Yup. Most of the time I can pass for NT. I can keep the rhythm of conversation pretty well, make what seems like genuine eye contact (ie. not forced, even though it is), keep interruptions down to a minimum, etc. But when I'm stressed, I rock back and forth alot. trace figure 8s with my finger on the table, my pant leg, whatever's around, etc. and my eye contact is shot to you-know-what. I will still make eye contact, but it's not as good. And my rhythm is totally off...I feel like the entire conversation was just one big misfire on my part. It's frustrating, but it happens.