In the post, user Commercial_Low1383 writes: “For the past six years like clockwork everyday on my birthday we’d go to the same place for dinner and I’d always get the same thing.

“For those who are a bit confused, I have extreme OCD and high functioning autism. Which means I’m very well regulated and like things to stay the same way that they always have been.”

The user, who describes themselves both as autistic and having Asperger’s, writes that, at the meal, their mother called the waiter over: “This gave me extreme anxiety. I have extreme issues with speaking with people and I tend to stutter and get very, very sacred.”

They explain that “alarm bells are ringing in my head this is never how it went before”, as his mother proceeded to tell the waiter that the original poster would be paying for their own birthday meal.

The OP then explains how they don’t have a job, apart from raking neighbors’ leaves.

According to the poster, the mother paid for their 23-year-old brother, and “were calling me an entitled little A-hole the whole ride home. When I got home I just ran to my room and cried.

“They’ve been ignoring me the whole day. I may be bad at social queues, but my family has never acted like this before, I mean, never. They’ve been treating my horrible the whole day.”

In the comments, the OP wrote: “My mom did get social security, until 6 months before I turned 18. She tried to get guardianship but I advocated for myself to be seen my a physiologist.”

In a follow-up post, the poster says their mother found the Reddit thread, and now they are being evicted.

Arianna Esposito, vice president, Services and Supports, Lifespan Programs at Autism Speaks, told Newsweek about the difficulties teenagers with autism face as they transition into adulthood.

Esposito said: “A multitude of autistic teenagers like this 18-year-old are aging out of school-based services each year and unfortunately lack the resources and knowledge to take on an equally unprepared world. Fostering greater awareness of the support these young adults require is as urgent as the need to equip them for adulthood.

“As a first step, young adults on the spectrum and their families should educate themselves on mental health support, self-advocacy skills, legal rights, financial planning tools and housing and employment options, as their needs may differ from those of neurotypical teens,” she added.

“Having a clearer understanding of the challenges autistic teens encounter in transitioning into adulthood can help them better communicate their needs, navigate social situations, strengthen relationships, and get the support they require to reach their full potential.

“Every young person with autism deserves to feel supported and prepared in entering their next chapter of life, and this is a good place to start,” Esposito said.

Redditors were outraged by the family’s actions, with user BeanpoleOne writing: “This is not how healthy parents do this. If they are trying to get you to be independent they should have told you before going out that you would be paying for anything that you order, not AT the table and not on your birthday.”

“No one should ever have to pay for themselves on their birthday,” Opinionsadvice wrote. “Even if it was just a coworker I wasn’t that close with, I still wouldn’t dream of letting them pay on their birthday.”

Redditor dosedatwer commented: “I’m 33 and make 6 figures, my 70+ y/o dad still doesn’t let me pay for meals when we go out together, let alone for birthdays.”

Newsweek has reached out to Commercial_Low1383 for comment.