Have I Grown Out of Asperger’s Disorder?

Reader’s Question

I was wondering if it’s possible for someone to “grow out” of Asperger’s Syndrome. When I was younger, I had all the typical symptoms of Asperger’s. I had heightened sensory sensitivity and was easily irritated by loud noises or certain fabrics. I had nervous twitches and a bit of temper that I often couldn’t control. If things didn’t go my way, I would often get into a raging argument. I didn’t learn how to ride my bike until 5th grade and to this day my hand-eye coordination is, well, rather horrible. I was very smart, however, and was among the first students in my school to receive my GIEP, and all throughout elementary school I was ‘the smart girl.’ My doctor told us that I was borderline Asperger’s, but I certainly was not normal.

However, when I hit puberty things began to change. I no longer had trouble with social interaction (well, no more then anybody else would). I lost my nervous ticks and nulled my temper to an almost non-existent state. I also feel as though my emotional and social maturity was catching up with my intelligence. I used to be in advanced math classes, now I struggle in an on-level class. Sometimes I feel that maybe my intellect was developing too fast for me to emotionally handle, which caused social awkwardness, and everything else was just coincidental.

Could this possibly be? Could symptoms of Asperger’s resurface or did I truly grow out of it?

Our Clinical Psychologist’s Reply

Maturation takes place on multiple levels and people vary considerably in their pace of maturation on each level. Individuals who struggle with developmental disorders can experience maturational delays on different levels.

We’ve come to realize that developmental disorders like autism and Asperger’s Disorder exist on a continuum or spectrum that includes varying degrees and breadth of developmental delays. Individuals who have mild developmental delays and have other resources (e.g., high intelligence) at their disposal, can learn to cope and compensate so effectively that they not only appear to overcome any deficits they once experienced but also sometimes have their developmental delays go undetected or get misinterpreted.

While the predispositions that accompany the various developmental disorders are thought to last a lifetime, near normal functioning can be achieved for some. (The degree to which intensive intervention and guidance is required to enable this also varies considerably.) Human beings have an incredible capacity to learn, adapt, and cope. Perhaps it’s time to focus less on whether some tendencies and predispositions will always be with you or might surface at a future time (especially under stress) and to celebrate the resources that have helped you mature despite some significant challenges.