He can still do that, but it needs education to do. My granddaughter wants to do video animation. She is 16 and doesn't like some of her classes.

He's the same person with or without the ASD label. If you're giving up this early in life, you're going up when it gets tougher after high school. My daughter would kill (I would anyway) to be HFA or off the spectrum. Formal education is more than a diploma or degree as it show you've accomplished something on paper. No education and no job experience will make life rough as there as more folks of the south of the border willing to work for low wages and no questions asked.

Have at least 3 life goals to work for. Me? Right now it's job, exercise and family tree. It's simple and I ask myself if I'm working towards a goal or not. Life is shorter than you think. Lots of people go through life with no plan then wonder why other people have the good times with a nice job and money. You try get the most out of this life and hope you don't have a lot of regrets later.

Does anyone have any ideas for me? I mean, I do appreciate all the information and hugs and such, but how do we get him to understand that education is important, despite what his Bio Mom tells him. He used to want a future, now, not so much he thinks there isn't anyway now that he's diagnosed. We have been told he could (due to level of his severity) eventually test no longer HFA or even on the spectrum. He just has to apply what everyone is trying to teach him. Just wish we knew HOW to get him to want again

Work at gas station making ?? $?? Does he realize he needs to pay rent? Utilities? Car insurance? Installments? My 7 year wanted to work a minimum paying job. I asked her how she intends to keep her current lifestyle? With bills? And she now wants a high paying job doing more of what she loves. She is gifted so that shouldn’t a issue.

Not to be a downer but the employment rate for those with autism is pretty bad. It's more than just intelligence. Can he work with others? Stick with a job day in and day out? This issue isn't talked about much and the focus is on the few who managed to get high paying jobs.

"Compared to their peers with other types of disabilities, young adults
with autism had the lowest rate of employment. While 58% of those
on the autism spectrum ever worked during their early 20s, over 90%
of young adults with emotional disturbance, speech impairment, or
learning disability ever worked, as well as 74% of young adults with
intellectual disability."

https://drexel.edu/~/media/Files/autismoutcomes...