Increase in traits?

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I saw a topic earlier about the presence of aspie traits decreasing over time - anyone ever experienced the reverse? A marked increase in cognitive functioning?
I've always had many aspie traits, but it's been until now that I started researching it, and that was because the "weird" traits have increased the older I get. A conversation I had with my mother about gender this morning just cemented the perception. I think she must have said "that's weird, Lou" about eighteen times. And it is. My mind works in a way that is completely different to hers, and she is about as NT as someone still capable of individual thought can be.
Do you suppose an increase in aspie-like traits is just those traits coming out and the individual in question somewhat dropping the act of trying to mimic and "be normal"? Were the traits always there, and just more obvious that "just a bit weird" in the more socially complex adult world, or can these things actually increase?

Things that are acceptable or cute at 5 years old aren't when you're older. For instance, people were fine with just labeling me as shy when I wouldn't answer their questions. Now I'm nearly an adult and can't have a verbal normal conversation.

Also, things are harder as you get older. Jobs, friends, school, independence...

I don't think it's getting worse, I think it is just expectations.

People expect more from us, as we get older. I know, from experience. I don't think that I'm going to let last October go. People expect us to grow out of our traits, because they associate autism, with children.

I have recently been looking into brain health and recommended a book "Making a good brain Great".

I have only reviewed it online, but offers nutritional as well as advice on brain exercises. Atrophy of brain function can happen to anyone including NT's who forgets to exercise the brain.

Coffee, tea, alcohol, all drugs etc will also reduce brain capability, especially with ageing. Prolly being around environmental toxins or emotional stresses can also exacerbate poor brain performance

My traits skyrocketed when I started taking Zoloft for depression/anxiety. My interests ended up getting so intense that I took grade 12 biology and got 99%, which allowed me to enroll into college and continue studying biology/physics. Maybe in 30 years when I start to get older, my interests will decrease... =)

I agree, this is exactly the reason why I never realized I was "strange" when I was a child, because being different, obsessed by your own interest, a little too honest or shy and even stimming is actually considered as being pretty normal for some children (from an adult point of view), and suddenly they are not and you start realizing your difference or think it is increasing.

And just as someone said, you never hear about Autistic Adults, as if they all died before turning 20 or during their adolescence, or as if they became totally normal.

I was thinking about this today, I think it has more to do with the brain maturing and this happens to everyone, but I can see how it would be more pronounced in an Aspie.

My ADHD traits seem to be decreasing and my cognitive functioning seems to be getting better, My judgment is less clouded, I have never had a slow processing speed but I have always been scatter-brained, I would say I am less so now.

I have become extremely logical, I've always had this trait to some degree but it really seems to have taken hold of me. I have virtually no emotional influence over most decisions that I make. Every day I feel pretty neutral, kind of like a machine. It's freaking me a out a little bit, TBH, I've just never been this void of emotion before, but I seem to be in a pleasant mood most of the time, I guess. It's difficult to explain, I just don't feel anything very deeply.

It has also been much harder for me to socialize, though. It's always been difficult and I've had different wants and needs in the past but I think that I'm naturally much less inclined to socialize now. I'm just very focused on my interests to the point where it's VERY difficult for me to be interested in other people enough to understand what they're even talking about. I do force myself to socialize because I know it's good for me and because I DO like people, and once I get tuned into them a little they make sense to me and I enjoy talking with/being around them.

I do agree with what you say about dropping the act and not mimicking anymore. I still have to use a bit of act but since I've discovered that what I've been fighting my entire life is not going away and is how my brain is designed to function optimally I have stopped pretending. I do think this has caused some of the traits to be more apparent.