Hello everyone, I am new to the group having only signed up today 
My son will be 18 in a few weeks time and will be leaving school next summer. We live in Wales. He was diagnosed with autism at the age of 5 and although he has battled many challenges throughout his life, he is doing very well academically and his predicted A level grades at the moment are Cs in Geography, English Language and Welsh Baccalaureate. He has never been interested in university and doesn't really like the sound of an apprenticeship. He loves aeroplanes of all description (military not commercial however). We attend many airshows each year and he really wants to become an aviation photographer. He has his own camera and is doing well with photography at these air shows. My worry is that this is a very niche job role, and I haven't a clue how to help him reach his dream. The RAF do a brilliant apprenticeship in photography but he won't consider it as he is terrified he may be deployed to a war zone, and he is put off by the basic training and fitness test. I have tried my best time reassure him that he would be well supported and have tried to encourage him to speak with someone in the RAF but he won't hear of it and is adamant he does not want that. He is very regimented and once he has made up his mind on something he won't budge. He also wants to travel the world attending different airshows (starting next summer), and I am finding it very hard trying to keep his feet on the ground regarding what he can manage without snatching his dreams away. Realistically, he relies on myself and his step dad heavily and although there may be a possibility he could do this independently later on, he would be unable to do this yet. He is quite naive bless him and alot younger than his peers. He is unable to care for himself independently due to him becoming distracted extremely easily and lacking social skills around others. He also stims alot, acting out airshows and he will often break into this around others and I worry how this could impact upon him getting a job and his vulnerability. He is such a kind, gentle, caring lad who deserves the world and I just dont know how to support him as he transitions from school to adulthood. School have been brilliant and he has had an IEP throughout. School has always been so familiar for him so the thought of transitioning is overwhelming for both him and us. I am thinking of getting him on a generic photography course at college when he leaves school as a starting point but we live quite rural and they are quite a distance away. He is about to start learning to drive which he is keen to do, but I am also worried about that as he is distracted so easily. He wants to set up a social media channel to showcase his photography but I have had to tell him that this won't generate an income straight away for him which has been quite difficult for him to accept. I am sorry for the long thread, if you have got this far I would be so grateful for any advice you could give me. Thank you, from an extremely worried and overwhelmed mum.
