My brother is autistic?

Question

my brother is autistic, and i just wanted to get some input. right now he's 15, and he's fairly high funcitioning... he technically has 'aspergers', not full out autism.

does anybody have experience with older autistic people? are they able to hold a job, live on their own, have a wife? (my brother is TOTALLY disgusted by kissing and germs and such). also, do they know yet how or why autism is aquired?

Answer 1

It depends on what we call his level of functioning.  Can he do his own laundry, cook his own food, clean properly, handle emergencies and strangers well?  That sort of thing will determine his ability to live on his own more than his label of Aspergers?  

As far as his job goes, I would say yes.  It again will depend on his level of education and his ability to handle job related stress.  He should receive help from an agency call Vocational Rehabilitation to get job training and job placement.  Many people with Asperger's do well working with animals, computers, electronics, lab work, etc.  Any place where customer service is not the main thing of their job and it is relatively stress free.  What does your brother like to do? That could help you to brainstorm jobs with him.

The marriage this is much more tricky.  I am going to go out on a limb and say that he will probably not have a girlfriend until his 20s.  He will need to get used to his adult male body and practice social skills a lot.  Many people with Asperger's find girl/boyfriends in social support groups, but nothing too serious unless there hangups are similiar.  If you don't want to feel close to someone, then why go through the downsides of a relationship, you know?

You are sweet sister for caring enough to ask!

Answer 2

You're going to get varying answers, because there are varying degrees to "high functioning."

Advice:  Your brother would love having a computer and an internet account.

> are they able to hold a job

I got lucky, got a job that I could do.  I'm a computer programmer.

> live on their own

I live with my parents.  I could conceivably live on my own.  I'll have to, because my parents are old and will die before I do.

> have a wife?

Possible but not likely.

I can hide what I am for a brief period of time, and so have had girlfriends occasionally.  I knew my last relationship was over when she said, "You really are from another planet, aren't you?"

> disgusted by kissing

Yup, me too.  Dry peck on the lips good, open mouth, bad.

Answer 3

Hi, its great to hear that you are interested in learning more about your brother :) Seeing as your brother is diagnosed  as high functioning on the spectrum and has Aspergers ( which is mainly social  ) he can indeed have a career and family. In high school he " should" be learning what teachers call " vocational " skills, those used to help him live on his own skills from cooking to balancing a checkbook, to appropriate interactions with strangers.

Your brother may take awhile to master these, sometimes years, but if he is high functioning he can still live a fairly normal life with some modifications.

    Researchers are still trying really hard to find the cause of autism, it is becoming more prevalant, some speculations are due to vaccinations when young,but most point towards environmental factors  based on our new living styles, not genetics.

I hope I have helped, and give your brother a hug for me !

Answer 4

Autism is such a huge spectrum,and many at the high end function very,very well in life:-)

I will be interested to see the other responses,as my 8 year old son is a high functioning autistic child.

BTW,he teaches me far more about life than I will ever teach him...

Answer 5

Bill Gates ahs aspergers-

he has a job and family

does that answer your question

he can be happy and successful without an intimate companion-if he's fine with it-that's okay

they have no concrete idea of what causes autism-they do think there is a genetic predisposition-but don't know what things trigger it

Answer 6

I do, actually work with older autistic people. Yes, if they are mildly autistic- they can hold a job. Just because they are autistic doesn't mean they're not itellegent. Since your bro' just has aspergers, he'll be able to hold a job and basically live a normal life, despite the mean, insensitive and cruel people making fun of him, he'll be fine. don't listen to these people, most of them are jerks.

I'm glad you're not on here bashing him. Thanks for that. :]

Answer 7

Asperger's folks often marry (Einstein).

Asperger's is on the autism spectrum at the bright/gifted end, so it is still autism.

Many scientists fall into this category. They work, marry, have children, etc.

The cause of autism is still unknown. Genetics seem to be involved, but no one has pinned down what happens.

Answer 8

Wow, there's a couple of real winners on here, but here's my answer.

Yes, people with high functioning autism such as Asperger's can successfully participate in society "norms" such as work and relationships.  The chances for this increase with early intervention programs focusing on social skills and adaptive behavior (behavior that would be considered typical or "normal").  Usually, people with high functioning autism are only lacking in the social domain, and do not have the other symptoms of autism such as sensory sensitivity and language deficits.  More than likely, your brother will grow out of the "kissing is gross" stage and find someone he can truly connect with, he is only 15 and a lot of things can change. :)

As of now, there is still no conclusive evidence on what causes autism, there is still a lot of research going on and many theories that scientists are working on.  The best thing we can do right now is work on providing the right programming at school for students with autism in order to help them when they are older.  Thanks for caring so much about your brother! :)

Answer 9

No one knows what exactly causes autism spectrum disorders but there is quite a bit of research going on right now.

Although I'm sure people before this generation had the problem, it wasn't really recognized until recently, so statistics are sketchy.

Hopefully, he has had special ed to help with many of the learning problems, social skills, etc.

As far as having a job, he very likely will be quite good at some job.  Rumor has it, Albert Einstein had Aspergers.

Developing the social skills involved in complex relationships may be too hard for him, so he might not date, marry, etc.

Many also learn to function on their own or in a group home and their prospect continue to better as we learn more about it and it becomes more accepted.

Answer 10

A lot of times, if someone has high functioning autism, they can hold a job.  It really depends on the person, but they tend to be pretty good at holding a job.  He will probably benefit from some sort of vocational training.  They can generally live on their own too.  As for having a wife...it totally depends on the person.  Many ppl without autism don't have spouses.  He may mature more, as he's only 15, and may want to have a wife someday.  

Researchers still don't know what causes it.  Many believe vaccines might, others believe its genetical, and others believe that its environmental.

Answer 11

First Off You have to remember ANY1 on the Autism spectrum high or low is like a snowflake No two are alike.Everything is different for each and everyone of them.My son is 15 and Has a DX of Aspergers and He already Notices The girls Lol !Are his life skill age appropriate NO!His Social skills have become wonderful overtime and his academics are  grade level for his age and an honoroll student in general education .Yes it is always possible and likely for many children on the spectrum to live full and productive life IF giving the tools  and programs to achieve these goals. Will it be a harder road for them YES but is it impossible absolutely NOT.

Answer 12

Well the closest i can get to autism is blindness. Someone in my family is blind and he has a job and a girlfriend. So its possible. That's what i think! ;)

Answer 13

What is wrong with Sam and Magitec1. You guys are losers.

I know an autistic 16 year old that can drive...

And Heather from America's Next Top Model had Asperger's