Any advice on how to keep my young adult son safe. He has recently been diagnosed with asperger' s syndrome.

My son is 19. He removed himself from peer relationships more or less in the second year of a'levels. He has a university place but deferred. He struggles with social relationships and will not work due to anxiety, though we did try to persuade him to use the help suggested for this in our area, via an advocate. He goes online most of the night. However, he now says that with the bit of money given to him by his grandparents he is going to a conference on anime? in Los Angeles with the people in America he has met online. He hasn't given us any details. He won't even catch a train or go shopping normally!! My concern is it's a scam or that he will be unsafe. We have no one to help as he was diagnosed post 18...after years of chasing for help as we knew something was not right. We feel powerless. We just want him to be happy and safe but something feels wrong about this. He just rants at us and tells us we are controlling parents if we try to find out more details, though we have tried to explain this is what any parent would want to know, venues etc. 

Parents
  • He probably knows what he's doing and just wants to meet people with the same special interest. Is it the big animé expo in early July (first one I found online)? He may be motivated enough in order to negotiate all the logistics himself even if he's not done it before, but he might also appreciate you offering general support.

    Was there any post-diagnostic support, like a course or a chance to see an occupational therapist? Would he accept some kind of help with the anxiety/anxieties? Would it also be worth checking out what support is available through the university?

Reply
  • He probably knows what he's doing and just wants to meet people with the same special interest. Is it the big animé expo in early July (first one I found online)? He may be motivated enough in order to negotiate all the logistics himself even if he's not done it before, but he might also appreciate you offering general support.

    Was there any post-diagnostic support, like a course or a chance to see an occupational therapist? Would he accept some kind of help with the anxiety/anxieties? Would it also be worth checking out what support is available through the university?

Children
  • Thank you loads for your reply. I will check if it's that. They did give a list of support in our area but he hasn't taken any local support up. I think he feels more comfortable online and I understand that. Would like nothing more than for him to have a holiday like this, just so worrying and such a big step in regard to how he's been.