How much can you "get better"

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I've had mental health professionals say different things about possibly having an ASD, but they seem to agree that my bipolar trumps that and is much more important to diagnose and treat. They usually say I have it mild or I don't have it but I have traits.

Anyway what one doctor said sticks with me. She read some of my old childhood psych reports. She belived "Aspergers was a major cause of your childhood problems but you got alot better and some other doctors are missing it but I see signs of it in you."

Can an aspie become normal enough to unnoticed? Actually my last two doctors said they honesty didn't know.

Depends on the severity of the aspergers, the self awareness of the aspergers, whether the person has been to or goes to dbt and what symptoms are preset. I am high functioning, people can't tell a difference between me and a normal person. I am a lot more manipulative and a chronic liar to people irl though.

AS is a disorder.

When it stops damaging "normal life functions" it ceases to be a disorder.

BUT: what one may define as "damaging normal life functions" is a bit iffier. And probably a lot more Personal.

If you say/think/feel, it does for you, then you're right no matter what anyone else says.

Oh, "stops damaging" might occur Via changes in/of: medication and/or experience and/or coping and/or situational and/or biology and/or relationships.

Yes it can/does change a lot, and sometimes, some people just seem to "get well".

My understanding and experience tells me that ASDs are lifelong conditions and, generally, the underlying state of being / neurology remains static throughout your life. What likely changes is the person's methods and ability for managing the condition. I may well have become 'better' at mimicking NTs and hiding the most obvious traits to some degree but this is a fascade or mask that I have to put effort into maintaining and one which falls away when I am alone and able to relax and be myself. I don't see that as becoming somehow 'cured', it's just hiding the condition - something I gradually learned I needed to do to get by, even long before I suspected or understood AS.

Some people’s symptoms can improve over time, which raises the question why are the so called experts not learning from this?

You can mask and learn some things, but you will always have it, it's a lifelong neurological difference.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/emilywillin ... of-autism/

I've had therapy sessions but I learned nearly nothing from them.

I've never managed to "get better", I've just learned to do things I couldn't do before, but mostly because of my parents help.

I just use my instinct to go ahead in life. That's not bad actually.

Speaking for myself, I learned a set of social routines that I store in my mental library and can access and run as needed.

"She is saying hello my name is eworuehfoweh and extending her hand." OK, say, "Pleased to meet you. My name is blahblahsit." Extend hand, shake hers with just the right amount of pressure to convey sincerity. Look her in the eye. Smile. Look for opportunity to go find quiet corner in which to recover.

i cannot think of a condition that improves under distress. i mean that im not sure that this is ASD specific. in the absence if distress, or presence of eustress (a perception difference) conditions improve. ive heard folks on here talk about becoming 'more autistic' or, rather, tending more toward the lower end of the spectrum, over time (though 'time' not being the probably variable in the change).

also, as one responder noted, conditions become less non-normative based on environment.