@snoozn @CorpusChristi - agree - good discussion.
One of my son’s closest friends is on the spectrum and attends college while living at home, with a lot of support. He’s doing well, I think. I see him a lot because when my son is home, he is very quick to come over. (He considers my son to be high-functioning autistic person, whereas my son does not have a diagnosis - just a “quirky” engineering student with a deep love for fantasy and role-playing.)
I’ve read a number of comments in the College Life forum from students with ASD and I always think of my son’s friend. As snoozn’s comment reminds me, the most painful part to read about is the students’ struggle for meaningful friendships in the sometimes vexing social environment of a college campus. But for parents - how does one know how far one’s child can go in terms of independence until it unfolds? I feel the pain, the desire not to get one’s hopes up, but also, the need to keep trying to see what will work.