To allievate your fears..
Regression around the second year and losing previously gained skills, is quite a strong indicator of autism (especially if things such as abuse, traumatic life events, big changes, health issues, deafness can all be ruled out).
Although sometimes speech regression if no other symptomatic behaviours are present does not always indicate autism, it could be related to another change in the environment, nursery, older siblings sometimes talk for younger and as such younger stop trying, and definitely if he hasn't already have hearing checked out as that can often contribute.
But autism is not the end of the world, I myself am autistic, I presented very severely as a young child, and didnt start speaking properly till I was 8 and then it wasnt really understandable.
The reassurance..
I got married at 21, and have had a happy marriage, I completed school with solid A and A*, completed undergraduate with a 1st degree and masters and PhD.
I have lived independently since I was 19 officially, but lived between home and independently intermittedly from 16, through choice and not due to wanting to leave family as I'm very close to my parents and grandparents.
I have a professional well paid career going forwards, although I did chose a career where my autism and adhd would not cause a negative impact and the savats of autism are seen as beneficial. I did struggle with menial jobs though, and found a career which used my strengths was much more fulfilling as previously I jumped around a lot of jobs, struggled to keep them, and to be engages by them, lots of professional jobs are much more supportive and actually see the benefits autism can bring to the role.
There are many careers where you will find a lot of autistic individuals employed such as business and accounting, academia (predominantly research), science and laboratory work, even some areas of medicine to name a few.
Yes you may have to put more work into teaching independence skills, social skills, acceptancenof the strengths and how to use them to benefit your ability and work, but it can be done and certainly isnt world ending and limiting in a lot of situations. And it most definitely is rewarding.
As I said, as a child I wasnt assumed to be able to do anything in adulthood, and was considered to always be dependent.
So please don't be scared of autism. If your child is autistic, there are also lots of support groups and networks you can access where you will be able to talk to other parents, get support and information.