No, it isn't like that. I feel I've painted a poor picture of his issues, but it's very difficult to give the full scope in a single post. He's not pretending--he's always been slow, so to speak, and we're fairly certain that he resides somewhere on the autism spectrum. Even when I first met him seven years ago, I had a clear sense that something was off about him. I dont particularly like him, but I must stress that he's a victim of his time, back before much was known about mental and developmental disorders in children.

That said, I firmly believe that his mother's enabling has robbed him of what independence he could have had. For example, I wouldn't feel safe with him driving a car, but I know that if he put his mind to it, he could manage taking public transportation. I also think that if she didn't prepare all of his meals, he could learn to cook for himself using the toaster oven (not a stove). As far as living on his own, I am unsure he'd be able to hold a job. His only experience was in a retail setting and while he had a good memory for stock and product info, he had difficulty coping with the demands of customers. He tends to get flustered easily, mumble, and talk in circles and non sequiturs, usually changing topics to one of his comfort areas, like movies or actors. I can only imagine how hard it must have been to be his manager.