MOST PARENTS STRUGGLE WITH THE IDEA OF “LETTING GO” AND SENDING THEIR KIDS OUT INTO THE WORLD. IN THIS ARTICLE, AN AUTISM MOM REFLECTS ON HER SON’S DECISION TO TAKE A ROAD TRIP.

By Nicole ADELMAN, MSS, LCSW

My oldest son recently returned home from a road trip. It was a trip planned last minute with three other friends.

Destination: south.

Plan: “To have no plan.” (direct quote).

I was not thrilled with this plan (or rather lack thereof ), but I wouldn’t say no. He was18. He had just graduated from high school. He would start college in the fall.

He has good friends he’s known for years, and I trusted they would figure it out and make good decisions. They made not-so-good decisions, they would work together to problem solve and learn from the experience.

Why is this significant?

At six years old, after three years and five doctors, he was diagnosed with asperger’s syndrome. Formerly thought to stand on its own, it’s now included in DSM-5( the manual for assessment and diagnosis of mental disorders) as part of the autism spectrum.

The future was both bleak and hopeful, in equal measure. At the time of his diagnosis, I also had a toddler and an infant. It was overwhelming to think about his future.