19 Year Old Drop-Out Son Never Has Had A Friend, Won't Leave House

MiaJenner

New Member
My 19 year old son has fallen down a dangerous slope and I am now looking for advice.

Backstory: he had some speech/Occupational Therapist (OT) throughout elementary school, and was always very quiet and never interested in making friends. Come age 16, he began to refuse to get up for school and soon dropped out. From a young age, he would spend entire days playing video games with no desire to do anything else. He is 19 now, has never had a friend, has no social skills, and no general skills. When he is at his father's apartment, he doesn't have cable or videogames, and will sit in the house doing absolutely nothing for days at a time. Has absolutely no desire to leave the house. Doesn't seem happy, sad, anything. Has gained much weight. Not sure what to do. Any advice?
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
I strongly suggest you take your son to a neuropsychologist (not a neurologist) and have him tested for autism. He sounds so much like my son would have been like if he had not had so many interventions to help him along. It's never too late unless you don't do it now. I'm really surprised the schools didn't suggest private evaluations for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). They are not socially aware or interested, like repetition, are either afraid of other people or inappropriately loud and obnoxious, tend to have narrow interests and need help understanding the world. They may get wrong diagnosis. of social anxiety or depression. My son is the happiest young man in the world, but he IS a lot like your son was before all of his interventions kicked in. Even now he is different, but he has become friendly, a part-time worker, and living on his own and very independent.And I'm sure that every day after he comes home from work, he either plays his videogame systems or watches his shows, as he calls them. He is who he is...a very nice, sweet, content, polite young man who is differently wired and is ok with that. My son is twenty-one.He has had interventions since very young, but your son can catch up.

There is hope.

Good luck!!!
 
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