coping skills for becoming a young adult.

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I am 16 and hardly as independant as my contemporaries I cant make myself a meal,wash clothing,make my bed,have a sense of direction or time and the list goes on.My mental capacities are far greater then my parents friends but I am useless in terms of motivation.As my aspergers is becoming less noticeable and I am somewhat adapting I find that I am not developing the skills required to survive on my own.what should I do?

You need to learn these skills somehow, whether it be through parents, school, or some other method. It is good that at 16, you realize this and can make the changes now when they are cheap rather than later when it gets more expensive to learn them.

why would it be expensive?

Hiring a maid/housekeeper to do these things long term would be expensive.

Come now, you can't open a can of beans into a dish and warm it up???

put on the kettle and make instant soup, or instant oatmeal. . or TopRamen! Knock back a few vitamins, and plunk down two slices of bread and smear liberally with peanut butter and jelly. (yuk, I dispise peanut butter, but somepeople like it!) Put on baloney or tempeh instead.

helpfully,

Merle

As a parent, I'm prepared for my AS son to take a little longer acquiring those independence skills. They are definitely much harder for him than schoolwork is. I know he won't have them by the magical age of 18, or probably even 22. So, we'll have to adapt as a family accordingly. Exactly how, who knows - we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, since I think his feelings on how things get done will be important.

Hopefully your parents are patient and understanding and willing to help you with the skills you will need. I believe you will acquire them - just in your own time and in your own way. So you need extra guidance for a longer period of time - it isn't a big deal, as long as you and your parents are prepared for it.

My sons are 18 and 20 yrs old. My 20 yr old has asperger, he doesn't work or drive. He has learned recently to make sandwiches or soup or microwave food. My 18 yr old has been doing that for years and can now cook from scratch, he also drives. My 20 yr old wants to work and drive but I think it is the anxiety more than anything. He and I are here alone alot since I had foot surgery a couple weeks ago, while my husband is working and my 18 yr old is at a friends we have to fend for ourselves and it's tough, I'll be glad when my foot heals. I know my son wants to be independent i just don't know when it will be.I've put a sign up over the washing machine but he still won't do his own laundry.