My brother (J) is in his early 20s, and although he has never been officially diagnosed, he clearly has autism. He is my half-brother and I am not related to his mother. She would not accept that J clearly had special needs and is on the spectrum, and for his entire life she has refused to have him assessed or even discuss the issue. Recently she moved with him to a new town and then suddenly packed up and left him. Although he is in his early 20s and fully verbal, he is vulnerable, childlike and with no work experience or qualifications or knowledge/skills on how to function independently. J does not know he is on the spectrum. Please can someone advise on what the next steps should be to support him? His money will soon run out, he is capable of basic work but I fear he could easily be taken advantage of as he is naïve and childlike. How does one go about finding support for someone far enough on the spectrum that support is essential, but who has no idea that they are autistic and need support?
