What is this that's happening to me and is it normal?

Since finding out a few months ago that I’m ASD 1, I’ve started noticing moments where I feel… different.

Most of the time, I’m outgoing, chatty, and playful. But sometimes, I shift. I feel younger than I am (I’m 30), especially around friends my age or in their early 20s. It’s like something in me softens—I get quieter, more focused, still playful but in a gentler way. I also feel more sensitive, like words could cut deeper than usual.

Oddly, being around my niblings (ages 6–17) feels easier in those moments, more natural, more fun.

Maybe I’ve always moved through these shifts… I’m just finally starting to notice them.

Thankfully my loved ones notice when I'm on this different side and are a lot more careful with what they say and do around me, but I just want to know what this is, why it happens and if there's anything I can or should do about it.

Thanks