Abandoned because I was born different.

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So as a young man now (21) with autism, I've always been very dependent on my parents. Got kicked out by an emotionally abusive mother, then got kicked out by my father five years later because they wouldn't take care of me anymore. I have no behavioural issues and I have an average IQ. Always did the best I could to make my parents proud. Went to hell and back trying to get a high school degree. Never did drugs/alcohol/smoking or anything of the sort, unlike them. Still, it was not enough for them.

I've been spending the last year on the streets and in psychiatric hospitals. I've escaped death more than once. Things a young adult shouldn't have to go through. At this point in time life is starting to look up to me, but I owe it all to myself. Got very little support from people that were supposed to be there for me.

All I can say is, I hope that none of you ever had/have to go through the same as me and if you have a child with autism, think about what you want for your child and how you want them to remember you when you're not there anymore.

i'm sorry you've been dealt a bad hand. i try my best to not be an ungrateful child, and it is successful.

fortunately i have not, but several of us here have spent some time out on the streets. certainly, you're not alone.

is it very cold or hot where you are?

i know how it feels to have sh***y parents

Been through similar, you're probably far better off without those people. Some people just shouldn't be parents.
Just because they're family doesn't mean they're good people that you have to be around.

Sadly it's really not uncommon for autistic people to end up on the streets or doing drugs or tricked into some horrible situation, I've seen it a lot and it's really saddening.

All you can do is push forward and learn until you get somewhere you are reasonably happy with. You also will have a certain understanding of life after being on the streets not many 'normal' people have. Just keep going until you get somewhere good. Build up as many contacts as you can. Good luck.

Do you have any extra-special interests?

You don't have to have a "high IQ" to have extra-special interests.

I'm glad you've survived this far. Your experiences will help you survive subsequently.

Do you have any intention of going to college?

The plan right now is to wait until there's confirmation about the disability benefits I requested. If I get them I'll be financially secure for the rest of my life. And I should because I really need them and I'm entitled to them, but I won't feel comfortable until I have certainty. Because the truth is there is no plan B. I don't have what it takes to get a college degree or hold a job of any kind. Not even close. But I can survive with an income.

"for the rest of my life" is very optimistic, but hopefully that is not out of reach for you.

certainty is one of the most comfortable and vital things to have in life, no?

Well at least until the age of 65. If I live that long I'll be more than happy anyway. Besides I'll get enough to afford my own appartment so I won't be paying rent when I'm old which is a big deal. And yes certainty is important for people that can't take care of themselves. People that can inherently have certainty because whatever they go through they know that they have what it takes to survive. I don't consider that a luxury but something everyone should have.

I'm sorry your parents are as*holes. That's a crying shame.

I wonder why the hell people have kids, if they're not going to love whatever they get??

selflessness,

That is awful! I'm sorry you had to go through that.

Selflessness - I am so sorry this happened to you! It just breaks my heart to read it. You sound like a strong, capable person. You will be okay - please know your worth as a human being is not based on how your family treats you. As BuyerBewrare said above not everyone should be parents. You got a raw deal - but you are rising above it. I send you best wishes for a happy and successful 2017!

So sorry. You have my support.

If you feel depressed please feel free to pm me for advice or help.

Please take up running. Im not kidding about its health benefits!

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... sador-mind

I had horrible parents as well. IMO people like them don't think about the child as a person. To my parents, my brother and I were simply accessories to the life/lie they were trying to project. They took us out and bragged about us when company was over, but when there was no one there to watch, they treated us (and each other) horribly or simply ignored us. There's no way to get through to them or stop the cycle that I know of. People like them are out for themselves. My parents are textbook narcissists and have Narcissistic Personality Disorder imo. I find support through others with parents with NPD and via C-PTSD therapy.

some people seek nothing more than young extensions of themselves.

woe is them when the child develops his or her own identity!

There is always a plan B. If you are physically able, look around, there are always some organizations that help autistic people get jobs. These organizations get funding for their operation expenses, from government or through donations. Plus, autistic workers are exempt from minimum salary requirements, so their value is very competitive in the labor market place. Only if you get jobs, will you have dignity. I know some people will always find excuses not to work, but I hope you are not one of them.

That aside, you already have some skills and assets that you are not even aware of. If you can talk well enough, I would suggest you put in some effort into learning a foreign language. Just that experience alone will open doors and opportunities for you, not in the sense of getting a job by using your foreign language skills, but in the sense of using it as a stepping stone in contacting people. Teaching/tutoring English to immigrants and/or foreigners is an easy job and the demand is always there. With that, you also open social contacts. You'd be amazed to find that, out there, people admire you by the simple fact that you speak English, or by the fact that you come from a developed country. You don't need a college degree. Just google for it:
https://www.internationalteflacademy.com/blog/bid/74176/no-degree-no-problem-the-6-best-countries-to-teach-english-without-a-college-degree

I believe that. It's sick, and sad, and they are the defective ones. Not the kid. The kid is just wounded from growing up in a sh***y environment.

So-- you guys remember that. It's not your fault. It's not you-- it's them. Don't let them and their s**t defeat you. I know you're gonna have to fight it for the rest of your life, but-- you made it this far. You are not bad, not broken, not worthless, not incapable. You are stronger than their lies. You are a survivor, you are amazing. Fight now to build the best life you can.