Have many of your autistic traits "faded"?

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Discovering that I am on the spectrum in my thirties has certainly been an eye-opener for me. At the same time, many of the defining symptoms of AS/autism I used to have as a child have either completely disappeared or I've managed to cope extremely well.

I used to hate loud, startling noises; now they hardly bother me. I used to separate all of my dinner into its components and eat them separately and completely before moving on to the next; now, I eat food all mixed up. I used to cut out all of my clothing tags; now I don't need to do that. During verbal conversations, I used to incoherently ramble a ton more than I do now. I'm not sure, but I think I've gotten much better about eye contact.

In fact, I believe it is quite possible that I would have been diagnosed with AS as a child, but I doubt I would today.

Which autistic traits of yours, if any, have faded over time? Does anyone wonder if they would escape an AS diagnosis as an adult?

I've gotten a bit better about eye contact. I used to be totally unable to look at strangers. Now I can force myself to, but it's still really uncomfortable.

My stimming also used to be completely subconscious, now I can stop myself from doing it in public.

I've kind of gotten better at social stuff. I'm still an awkward person, but with people I know well I can actually carry on a conversation.

I still have about as much trouble with loud noises, bright lights, and a lot of other social stuff now as I did when I was a kid, though.

Cutting labels out of your clothing is an aspie trait? Okay... chalk another one up then, I still do that... they itch like crazy if I don't.

I've only recently realised that I'm aspie. I think some of my problems have improved. I don't "go on" as much as I used to about things that bore others, my physical mannerisms (particularly hand flapping) have improved. I'm still told that my facial expressions are atypical... not so much odd, or unemotional, as muted. When I was a kid the joke in my family was that I "had no feelings", because I'd talk about things as though removed from the situation, or I wouldn't smile, or cry, or do whatever it was they expected.

Nowadays nobody would say that, I'm better able to express my feelings, and my gestures, expressions are more appropriate.

I still can't go into crowded places like supermarkets or the underground without having problems. I've been known to groan and bang my head against doors or posts on the underground... it's like watching someone else.

Of course, the answer to that is never to go on the underground, and to only shop in supermarkets in the very early hours of the morning when it's not so crowded.

I find it harder to control my panic symptoms at certain times of the month, so I avoid those situations then... and look forward to my menopause with great anticipation.

I am not as quiet as I used to be although still quiet in some situations like being in a group or when two people are talking.

My problems with sounds and the reaction are still the same except sounds that used to not bother me now do. So new sounds that are bothersome.

Problems with lights are the same. I have noticed that stores started installing shades around their flourescent lights and I find those less bothersome.

Problems with bright colors are the same.

Still stim. Have tried to actively try to stop them but have found it doesn't really work. I have become more aware of my stims. I didn't even know I was doing it for a long time. Sometimes I get treated as if I'm not even there in public as I get to listen to people at a nearby table at restaurant talk about my hand movements openly speculating on what kind of "crazy" I am. It's happened a couple of times but it doesn't make me cry. It prompted me analyze them instead at a later time.

When I have tried to accomodate others knowing they don't understand me, it's always backfired. I've tried this approach for so long that I've learned that I do have to choose. Do I do what makes me comfortable and will keep me okay with an enviroment so I don't react harshly or do I try to hide or control it to the point of frustration. The ending results are always some snide remarks and general rudeness so I might as well just do what makes me feel better while being in an enviroment that I have difficulty being in.

I have tried eye contact but was told I wasn't supposed to stare.

I'd say the biggest improvement is speech.

Yes some of mine have faded, things I did as kid I don't do now. When I was little I used to throw big tantrums if there was a bump in my socks because of how sensitve I was, now I aren't too bothered it's nothing more than a slight annoyance.
I used to be really blunt and say I things I shouldn't loads of times but now I never do and know exactly what I should and shouldn't say.

Same here. I learned how to act in social settings ("act" being the operative word). Some attempts go better than others but I basically know how I'm supposed to act and have gotten better with practice over the years. As a kid I didn't really have "conversations," even when I talked. As an adult I learned how to appear much less self-centered.

However, as far as my comfort with the social stuff, that hasn't improved at all. It's as uncomfortable and exhausting as ever - sometimes bordering on panic, sometimes just stressful.

None of the other things have improved either. The sensory stuff, the obsessiveness, and the need for specificity/details, are as bad as ever. But I've also discovered the flipside to these difficulties. They are a real double-edged sword and have led to my discovery of some talents I didn't know I had and some hobbies that I love - I believe AS/autism is responsible for these things.

Quite a few of my traits have faded over the years. Simply being in a crowd doesn't really stress me at all; it's actually having to interact with people that does it. I've still got pretty bad social anxiety, and am still not really comfortable with extended eye contact. My stimming can generally be passed off as ADD. It's only when I'm stressed or required to interact freeform with someone I don't know that it really starts to show. Phone calls can send me into a hot sweat.

Ahh you reminded me, another change for the better. I used to have very bad tornado like angsty tantrums over the smallest things or routine being changes or something doesn't go as planned that has to do with my routine. Now it's no longer as bad.

When plans change I freeze in place instead. While I'm frozen in place I'm actively in my mind calming myself down so that there will be no meltdown. Meanwhile others around me are getting annoyed and moving quickly to adapt to the change in plans.

Last edited by kittenmeow on 25 May 2009, 7:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

My Echolalia went away.
I'm also not as shy as I was.

I am not really echolalic anymore, I don't see people as objects and I know they all have feelings, I am more flexible now, I don't wring my wrists or run my finger across my bottom lip, or chew on my hair, and I don't get upset when someone sits in my favorite seat. I am not as gullible and naive as I was when I was a kid. I don't go around saying rude things like "You're fat" "You're ugly." I no longer dislike jeans. I used to hate sleeveless tops and my balance was poor and my eye coordination. I no longer talk about my obsessions all the time to the same people. I am more considerate now than I was when I was little.

I'm sure I would. I would be interested to go to a psychologist, without telling them about my AS diagnosis, and see what they say.

I was always verbal and outgoing but as a child I had some compulsive patterns. This more or less dissapeared during my late teens.

I was super super super sensitive as a child and I am not anymore....EVERYTHING could make me have a headache or feel sick..and make me have to go lay down or go home from school....I had more selective mutism when I was younger...I was more routine driven when I was younger...I had serious routines that i would document in my journals for many years up into my early 20's...and I don't do that anymore. When I was in my teens I learned about tact...and I learned about it well. That was helpful, as I had no idea. I am no longer a compulsive storyteller as I was when I was very young. I am also no longer a shoplifter...

I don't run around like an obnoxious freak anymore. XD I've learned to be sort of "cool", instead of a big fat dork. Not like highschool clique cool though. XD Just kind of chill so I'm not embarrassing.

Also I pay attention better. Not REALLY well, but enough to get the info I need to get stuff done (or well.. most of it) and kind of know what's going on.

I still suck at talking though. I can sound pretty normal when I say something (especially on the phone, I can put on a really mature sounding voice) but I can never think of anything to say, so I hardly do, and I'm usually too quiet anyway.;

......okay so I still kind of suck at life. But at least I don't throw fits anymore.

Hehe I'm kind of the opposite of you.. I never used to notice loud noises and stuff going on. But I learned to kind of snap back into real-time when something happens and pay attention to it.

I can engage strangers in small talk. It's definitely challenging, but I can pass it off like a normal person.

I used to have problems with tags in clothes, labels, etc, not so much anymore.

I used to interpret phrases extremely literally, i.e. "What's up?" meant the ceiling. Now I can roll sarcastic comments and language twists off pretty easily.

I used to have poor motor skills, now my motor skills are definitely at least average.

I used to speak with the classic robotic and monotone voice. Now I can pass off the more traditional NT voice except when I'm fatigued.



...and yes, unfortunately, whenever I mention Autistic traits, docs tend to pass me off as a diseased NT rather than an Autistic these days.

I don't take as much stuff literally like I used to when I was younger, and I'm also not as quiet as I used to be (I still am quiet when on my own, but not like what I used to be like as a young toddler.)

I used to refuse to drink anything if it had ice in it - I still don't really like ice in my drinks, but I can handle drinking it.

I used to totally refuse to have stickers - I still am very weary of stickers and I still hate them, but if I have to, I will wear them. Still, I have to check new clothes in case they have stickers on them.