Do Aspies get worse with age?

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My asperger's haven't worsed with age, but I'm more sensitive now and don't have to pretend to be normal

This is interesting (since I'm also having memory problems, age 42). But maybe it's not the hippocampus. Some research has shown people with autism have a less developed hippocampus. But newer research is showing something different. Maybe it's the amygdala:

The amygdala is also involved in memory so that makes sense. What's more:


Also, there's evidence the left amygdala is involved in the positive reinforcement mechanism of the brain. That might explain why many of us have such low self esteem and never feel like we're moving in the right direction. And why in my case no matter how much I'm rewarded and praised I still feel like a worthless piece of s**t that's just doing everything wrong.

Is modern research finally getting closer to understanding what causes Aspergers?

^ Very interesting stuff HS. I haven't even gotten to looking for ASD-specific stuff yet. I.e. I wonder what the brains of people w/ASD and PTSD (and also those dx'ed late in life?) look like.

I read somewhere that explicit memory is a hippocampal function whereas implicit memory is what the amygdala does. So, CRS syndrome would presumably be a hippocampal thing and feeling lost or directionless the amygdala thing (maybe).

That thing about social networks -- makes me think about how people remember who to fear and who not to fear (and who would be easy to take advantage of). I wonder if a smaller amygdala leads to ASD egalitarianism.

That sounds like me, I take compliments almost as badly as criticism. If I had a choice, people who were happy with something I'd done would just smile and do that single head nod thing that indicates respect or acceptance or something along those lines. I hate the squirming inside feeling I get if someone goes on in a positive way about something I've done, for some strange reason it always makes me feel inadequate, like I'm not worthy of it or stealing credit from someone else, even if no one else was involved.

That is beautiful.

I believe better. Old(er) people receive less attention in society (unless they are authority figures) so there's less heat.

I have got worse with age, but I think the stress of repeated psychotic episodes that started when I was 15 (I'm now 22 and have had over 20 quite florid psychotic episodes with incomplete remission in between) made my Asperger's get worse.

I've read Tony Attwood. I believe he actually says Aspergers get better with age. That is why it is often difficult to diagnose as you get older. The reason is that we "figure out" how to fit into NT society. For example, although I have no innate understanding of social cues I can use my brain to figure out social cues that I've figured out in the past.

I wouldn't say I've gotten worse than age. I've gotten better in some respects, but I will say that ever since I've gotten a real job, some of my weaknesses have become more apparent.

There's no debating whether I got worse with age or nor. I was pretty NT as a child, just reserved. Now I have meltdowns, trouble getting my limbs to coordinate, mute spells, trouble in public due to noises and lights. Most symptoms aside from anxiety and ocd surfaced around 14 or 15, I'm 23 now and it's unbearable sometimes.

for me i was getting worse, probably because I thought I was in a healthy relationship, in reality I was really hurting my nt wife- I can now see that many ( but not all) of my aspie ways are not healthy, and I need to change/grow/evolve. Whether this saves my marriage is irrelevant, although it is a bonus if it does...

Not sure if its worse. But I don't have the mental energy as when I was a kid. My mind tires easly now. But also the older I get I seem to be stuck in life. I might be 28 but I'm still like 18 ish. It's weird to explain.

I won't be old and wise that's for sure. Just old and dumb lol. I still feel very much like the kid I was still am. I can still find my self doing odd stuff like playing with old toys from the basement storage

Not sure if its worse. But I don't have the mental energy as when I was a kid. My mind tires easly now. But also the older I get I seem to be stuck in life. I might be 28 but I'm still like 18 ish. It's weird to explain.

I won't be old and wise that's for sure. Just old and dumb lol. I still feel very much like the kid I was still am. I can still find my self doing odd stuff like playing with old toys from the basement storage

welcome to our neat little cool club, Loner nothing wrong with playing with one's fave toys i am a big kid also. when you get to be my age, you will find things are the same, only more so.

you learn to hide the symptoms better. but you may get tired of people. i dont want to have anything to do with people anymore except my brother and his family, but in my early twenties i was actually interested in people, although not much.