24 years old

 My son is now approaching his 24th birthday, he has come a long way.

He has completed his degree, something more to put on his CV. Sadly though he does not want to pursue a career in his subject (photography).

He would rather use the skills he learned as a hobby. Secretly I think the idea of looking for work in this industry is too daunting a task for him because the actual work would involve a lot of interaction with others,on a personal level, creating an intensity for him that could be almost unbearable. 

He had a negative  experience during his studies which may have tainted him. He had signed up for a agency offering work to students, giving them some experience while still studying,the pay was not great but it would give him some foresight of what to expect in the working world. His client was a social media 'person' and wanted some photos to promote herself and her website. She expected 'him' to tell her what to do and he expected 'her' to tell him what to do. Needless to say they fell out and he never looked for work with that agency again . The big challenge for an autistic person is of course communication, the embarrassment he felt during and probably after this interaction , was enough to make him nervous about repeating the experience, and I was not around to try to encourage him, nor did any of his tutors give him any words of encouragement as far as I understand it,when he relayed the story to me. He is very sensitive and worries about what people think of him. (like all of us) For him though this sensation is heightened,he can be troubled by negative interactions with other human beings for days months even years, and I can only conclude this is a result of his autism.

Perhaps his work will reach the wider public through other means.Perhaps the intense feelings will calm and he will feel like he can work in the photography industry in the future. 

Nonetheless he has gained some valuable experience from his time at university and he has truly become independent. 

I remember when he was 13 and we were in a record and DVD shop, he had brought all of his loose change ( this added up to several pounds) he proceeded to pay for a DVD slowly counting out all of his pennies and five pennies and ten pennies etc, without a hint of embarrassment, (the shop assistant was very patient) if only that quality had lasted into late teenage and young manhood. It all changed for him as he moved through puberty, the crushing embarrassment we all felt as teenagers seems to have stayed with him as he grows older . He would say he does not want to join the corporate world (whatever that means) but I think otherwise, secretly of course.