I turn 26 in 2 months and my parents still see me as a child. I was diagnosed late with autism and have low support needs; they won’t acknowledge the fact I have a disability, yet they’ve discussed their worries with my sister (behind my back) about how they fear I’ll be incompetent for the rest of my life because I’m on the spectrum. They don’t take me seriously, constantly discourage me from taking risks, try to micromanage my most basic tasks, all without realizing that they’re actually smothering me. When I try to set boundaries and discuss how their actions make me feel, suddenly I’m ungrateful, disrespectful, and I must hate them. They’ve been away on vacation for a week and it’s the calmest and most productive I’ve ever been. I want to move out desperately but I don’t have my license and I don’t start my new job closer to the end of the year. I hate feeling so stuck and like my parents don’t believe in me or my potential, it’s just so tiring.