I imagine many parents of children on the spectrum follow the same worry pattern I have. When we found out Curtis had autism, one of the things that kept me up at night was how school would go. Will he be able to go to school, will he have friends, will he have to deal with constant bullying.

Now that he's had 3 successful years in school, some of those worries have alleviated. Not all of them, not even close, but I know he can make friends and that he is fully capable of academic success. Part of what keep me up at night now is what will happen when he's an adult. Which is why it's nice to know there are resources like "Autism After 16" out there.

Tabs are split out for transitions into post-secondary education, employment, housing, finances, etc. Contributors are mainly parents, and the idea is to cover not only the pros and cons associated with various transitions but also right for those with autism and other special needs. There are also various column and editorials on parent's personal experiences.

There are a lot of great sites out there, and we have no affiliation with this one, but I thought I'd pass it on

Autism After 16 is dedicated to providing information and analysis of adult autism issues, with the emphasis on analysis. Anyone can Google “autism + adults” and discover a vast array of programs, documents, and products. Our intention here is to try to help adults with ASD and their families make sense of what’s out there. Our big focus out of the gate will be Transition issues, since so many of you are struggling with Transition right now.Here's what we hope to provide you:

• Breaking news of interest to adults with ASD and their families.
• In-depth articles discussing core issues of concern such as Transition, Employment, Housing, Finances, Health, Community, and the Arts. From these overview pieces we will drill down over time to provide more and more specifics, and will include links that we find especially useful.
• Columns written by adults with ASD, their parents and siblings that will undoubtedly resonate with your experiences. More than blogs, these columns will both stir the pot of ideas and emotions and provide information and links to useful resources.
• Guest-written essays by people working in the field of adult services. These writers have been invited to contribute based on the quality of their work and their commitment to creating model programs that truly serve the needs of our population. Their contributions will be topic driven, based on their areas of expertise.
• Profiles of adults with ASD focusing on successes and possibilities.
• Stories of service providers who are creating innovative and successful models that can be replicated. 
• Input from readers that contributes to thoughtful dialogue about adult autism issues. 
• A Life Skills section containing step-by-step videos and articles to help teach new skills or reinforce existing ones.
• Surveys collecting information on the state of services today.

Before we know it, the 1 in 110 kids will be all grown up. And if they look over their shoulders, they'll see more young people with needs specific to having autism following right behind. Autism After 16 wants to be the first stop in embracing adulthood with ASD.

I found another cool article on autism, a success story, in the New York Times recently. There is an 11 minute video and a long article on an autistic adult whose simple goals include independent living, preferably in an apartment close to his parents, and earning his own money. He is an artist and aspiring cookie maker who is mid-level functioning on the autism scale. His parents say his artwork goes for $1,200 and up. I'd probably put down the cookies and just keep painting pictures in that case but Justin's goal of improving his social interactions is admirable. It's a key goal for most on the autism spectrum.
It's sobering to see in the piece that only about 10% of adults with autism are employed. I guess I knew it was somewhere around there. We aren't blind to the fact that many of Curtis' cute hang-ups would prove serious detriments in a work place. Then again he's only turning eight. There is a lot of time for development as long as there are people willing to put in the time and programs that support adult transitions and our plan is to stay on top of things. 
I think Curtis will have many of the same goals as Justin and I hope that he does. He's already mentioned independent living, marriage, etc. When Justin's mom leaves and he repeats "I'm brave of being alone", that's something I could see Curtis doing. Justin belts out pop tunes like Curtis and he seems fun to be around, much like Curtis. The dry observations are always funny.
My high hopes for Curtis are self-employment as an artist or expert on a subject he will develop an unhealthy obsession over. Reasons being I believe he can do it and because who wouldn't like a job like that, autism or no autism? Lucrative self employment with your own schedule and no bosses? Maybe I will be living vicariously through him some day. Those are the high hopes so far  living with autism.

Greg, Dad