Can Asperger's worsen / become more apperant with age?

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My mom was trying to remember what I was like as a kid (before the age of 6) and she said that I was shy (although doesn't remember whether I made eye contact with others or no), wouldn't play with toys, would rarely play with others and mostly by them, was angry all the time without knowing why, but I wasn't very problematic about hugs and greetings like I am now and would share interests. Her memories weren't so good. We're going to ask others but there memories are a bit tainted. They all think I was someone even my mom admits I never was.

I don't remember my emotions or how I felt before the age of 6. I do remember places/objects very well but not people. After the age of 6 I remember pretty much everything. I remember that I never liked hugging or touching. I would do it, but inside I disliked it and never felt it was comforting or friendly except with family. I tried to make friends, to really fit to the point I made it a special interest, but I gave up later when I entered high school. There was also a time when I started to share my day and my interests MORE than before. I also wasn't as frightened by social stuff and didn't over think things but as I got older I did and it just gets worse and worse. I also started isolating myself more and more because it felt good, it let me cope with the world. These days I can identify my feelings pretty well. They seem to be very sudden and strong and right after what upset me so I can tell what they are. As for eye contact I noticed a few years ago that it was kind of strange I always looked away from stranger's eyes and more to the mouth to appear to hold eye contact. I don't remember learning to do that though... I do remember noting that excessive eye contact intimidated people. I learned that if I did it to people who bothered me it would freak them out.

What I feel is that from age 6 to now I've just gradually lost faith in the world. Just lost my will to conform. To greet people and try to be nice and be friends because it never worked. Social situations never turn out right so each time I feel like avoiding it more and more. Instead of learning to cope over time, I knew how to cope, but gave up on it? Does that makes sense? I usually hear that many were worse off as children, but could the opposite happen?

I did move countries at the age of 6 to somewhere more culturally quite, but even after more than a decade (in which we moved every couple of years) being there I still felt like a foreigner. I never got used to any place we've ever been to, even before the age of 6. Now I'm back to where I was born and just the amount of people and the fact I can't escape who we live with causes me to meltdown (I'd never had a severe one before). Before I could always escape.

Edit: So is it common for kids to show some symptoms since forever than suddenly show more around 5-7? The answers are all strangely very diverse.

Last edited by nonames on 15 Dec 2012, 8:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I feel like my aspergers is getting worse. I ahve noticed a decline in my social skills this past year with an increase in anxiery, shyness, and not being sure if my behavior was appropriate or not.

Still, I would classify my condition as pretty mild, I unfortunately am becoming awkward.

I'm having a similar experience, but I also know my stress level is much higher than it used o be. You know the saying, "ignorance is bliss." I'm not ignorant of a lot of things I was formally burying my head in the sand about, and it has been a real challenge to absorb it all on a daily basis.

I think generally, the signs on AS can diminish with age as the person becomes more experienced in life and so forth, but on the other hand, stress can make it worse too; just my opinion.

For me it's actually the opposite. My AS is getting better. Usually, it gets better beyond the years.

I think it's only gotten worse for me because until now, I wasn't actually diagnosed and because of that, I wasn't actually receiving therapy sessions. Because of this, I've become increasingly antisocial and for some reason, because I've grown in sensitivity towards other stimuli, I've also become more and more depressed up until the time I started real therapy. So I guess for me, going undiagnosed really isn't a good thing and I'd definitely suggest getting checked, if you think you have an ASD, and doing all you can to help yourself by getting help for yourself.

For myself, it is getting worse.

I grew up in a time before AS was recognized in the US, much less understood. Learning what AS is all about was the most amazing self awareness I've ever experienced. Every few days a memory may come and a lot of times I can connect a hurtful or silly or stupid incident to my AS.

This has been relief for the most part. It has helped to understand my 'misfittedness'. (: Also helpful because I am aware and can work on the most outwardly traits. My condtion is not extreme. And I am a survivor from all the years of Having To struggle in this weird place. I laugh and tell myself that I am a 'high functioning asperagus'.

However as a whole, I feel most of the traits are inside me for good and some are worse? ...stronger? than ever. I have a real issue with thinking I'm the misfit. Most days I think it's everyone else that is messed up! Go get a website for You! (:

The good news is, for most folks here, you have become aware at a younger age, you have time to adjust, and there is great information and help available.

Now leave me alone!... (rolls the steel marbles in a clutched fist)
,,, click - click - click ...

P.S. humor is one of the best tools you can have.

Mine is worse in some ways. My sensory issues seem worse, my social anxiety is worse in some ways, although I used to be very anxious additionally about bullying as a child.

My understanding of some social things has improved with age and learning, but overall I'd say mine is worse.

I found I have got better with age. I seemed normal as a baby, but when I started school at 4 years old, all the AS symptoms all came out at once, and nobody knew what was wrong, so I had to go for lots of assessments and everything to find out what was causing my odd behaviour in school. But each school year, the teachers noticed I got noticeably better, and I got diagnosed with mild AS and Dyspraxia at 8 years old. I still continued to get better as I got older, and became more able to communicate almost to a normal degree for my age, although I always struggled with making friends throughout school so I suppose there was something I was lacking. I feel I am still getting better, I did claim for DLA (Disability Living Allowance) when I was a child but I got took off it a couple of years ago because I had improved a lot, and I still am improving now. I do have a few issues that interfere with my life but it still does not mean I am getting worse.

I think certain life situations that can develop later in life can lead to symptoms seeming to get worse. Things like isolation, depression and work stress/adult life responsibilities in general getting on top of you.

Everything is easier as a kid as you dont have to worry about taking care of yourself or others.

as a child, i almost never played with other kids and wasnt interested in other people at all, except my older brother and younger sister. i barely talked, only nodded yes or no, and was almost selectively mute around anyone outside the immediate family. i lived in a dream world.
as a teen, and especially during my early and mid twenties, i actually talked to people and showed interest in them, although could never maintain a relationship, i think i actually wanted one.
in my late thirties, and now forties, i dont care about relationship anymore, and dont show interest in people anymore. so it's like it got better for a while and then got worse again.

Yes Autistic traits can worsen with age. Many sites that have in depth information about people with negative Autistic traits recommend getting help early as possible so things get better, and do not get worse.

mine only became obvious when my social awareness improved just enough for me to realize how much of an outcast weirdo I was and I had a complete collapse. also once trying to find work and make my own major life decisions came into play it became waaaaay more obvious than when my success was judged entirely on how well I filled out worksheets and memorized bible verses.

I don't think I've gotten any worse, I've just become more aware of how different I've always been, I've been exposed more and more to environments that I was never any good at navigating, and my "success" is measured in a different way than it was when I was a kid in school.

Slowly getting worse. For example I didn't use to break out in a sweat while at the grocery store or get anxious and want to leave asap, but now I do, every time, for the past few years or so.

From ages 5-12 I was fish out of water.
From ages 13-18 I started to imitate the people around me to blend in.
From ages 19-30 I was pretty much able to fake normal enough to seem odd, not crazy
From ages 31-42 I pretty have given up on playing normal and just stay away from people completely. I never will understand NT's and choose to stay away from them.

I have gotten worse as I gotten older. People annoy me now more than ever. I can handle things that upset me in my youth easily now. On the other hand there are things that piss me off now compared to when I was younger.

Im the same way, im fine when walking the aisles, but when it comes time to get in the queue to pay i instantly become horribly anxious and start blushing/sweating for no reason, i think its down to social anxiety. Im seeing a therapist now and doing CBT at home too and its slowly starting to get better, still had an episode when buying beer tonight though, but thats because I had a semi argument with my dad before i left which put me in an anxious mood before i even set out.

Anxiety feeds on anxiety though if you go to the store thinking about how you are going to get anxious and start sweating then it inevitably will happen. Try and direct your thoughts elsewhere, like listen to some music on headphones and try and concentrate on that and relax yourself, it helps trust me. You're are definately not alone with this problem.

Mine has gotten better and worse. It depends on what I look at.