Have your ASD traits got better or worse as you get older?

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I have definitely gotten better. I can even recognize faces now ^.^

I think my symptoms have become worse, I cannot stand going to clubs, bars etc, as much as I did even a year or two ago, I just want to get home after work every day, I don't really care about socializing as much as I used to 5 years ago, I just want to be left alone. Now, I really only wanna hang out with my cat, Mr Jinx. I find it harder to go to malls, stores, etc...UNLESS I really need to get things I need.

I have gotten better at some things, worse in others. And in others stayed the same, which can look like 'getting worse' if you're thinking relative to more and more expectations, staying the same looks like doing worse compared to what's expected.

Improved in cognitive development in childhood (from quite "slow" in many things, to developing a reasonably high level of overall intelligence). Improved in social ability in childhood (from non-existent to decent enough in that little Daniel had friends, as long as they approached him).

Stayed this way up till 15 or so, and my social ability started to go backwards (big Daniel ignored people who spoke to him around this time that he didn't actually know before this point; he started avoiding/withdrawing from those he knew). Schoolwork went down at this time too; from an A student to Ds.

Stayed the same up until now.

Don't really know if it was the environment or not.

It's really quite strange for me. I've lately had the feeling of "awareness". You know, you go from being born, get some memories, and before you know it, you're in the third grade! It's a lot like that, but it's almost as if an entire world has appeared that wasn't there, even though it was.

I've gotten only a little better with empathy. As a kid, I would say some pretty hurtful things to my mother and other people (only what I've been told - I honestly don't remember being so mean!). I can consider other peoples feelings, but that doesn't mean I actually care for them (I'm reflecting on that still), although sometimes I forget. I'm still not close with anyone I know. I'm only really close with my dog, who is turning 9 this December.

Socially, it's gotten a little easier. I'm actually able to go buy things from stores (only within the last couple of years). I know that, as long as I don't have to converse with people, I should be able to handle it. This however continues to be severe enough to hinder my ability to get a job. It completely frightens me to deal with people, so many thoughts about an occurrence I might have rush through all at once and hinder my ability to rationalize it! ~_~

Light doesn't give me head aches nearly as much as it used to (this was really bad as a kid). Loud sounds still alarm and panic me. ~_~ I guess I'm sensitive to pain (my friends are surprised as to what I go 'ouch' to).

I still drone on about things. Some people tell me often that they don't listen anyways. Even so, I forget this and do it to those people again a few days later anyways.

I'm kind of able to cope with differences in configuration of my computer. Configuration includes: monitor position, sound settings, color settings, position/size of windows.. You know, anything that I can change on a computer! It drives me INSANE if anything gets changed and I can't get it back to what it was before, even if it's only a very small change. I'm able to deal with this better now, and I do my best to ignore it, but I do go back to what's bothering me and tinker with it some to see if I can get it back.

Well, there's a lot I could probably bring up, but I'll stop here..

My improvements are in the empathy areas. It took me a while to retrain my brain. For a while I gave as much as I got, it was just an automatic response because all I learned for the first 13 + years of life was how to be very insulting.

I learned from others around me and yes, I admit to participating in it but I know I didn't start it and if I would have been around the socially minded NTs (where?) I might have turned out to be less insulting. I insulted people and said negative things to them. If that is being NT or "social" then whatever.

I am uncertain what members of the forum mean by NTs having social skills. Does it mean being nice, telling lies, insulting others, being mean. I am still not sure what?

From my perspective, where I live, most NTs have poor social skills. Poor at best. Everyone just puts up with a lot of crap.

But anyway, as a kid I was mean as far as insults go. However, I was a total chicken about physical confrontation. I was a "smart alec" and got called that a lot.

Now I am a bit more civilized. I wish I still had the energy I used to. I don't have the desire to constantly be in motion.

I'd say that worse - but on the other hand, it may be caused simply by the fact earlier I didn't realize I had so many symptoms until I read about AS.

Sky-rocketing better.

Not even a sentence, but yeah haha

The change throughout the years was very huge. The symptoms got a lot less with growing older for me.

Better with age. The longer I live, the more experience I have in behaving like someone who "belongs."
And my skin has cleared up.