To ONLY those who are on the AUTISTIC SPECTRUM: Do you drive?

Question

Hi there,

Sorry if I sound ignorant and foolish. I have a child with autism. I know it's different for every child, but I was curious about others on the spectrum. Do you have a driver's license and do you drive?

I am trying to make connection with individuals on the spectrum as I haven't met adults who are on the spectrum.

Thank you for your time and kind support. I wish to pose other questions in future which would require your opinions. Please stay tuned. I'd highly appreciate it if you could kindly take a moment to forward my question to as many people as you know of who are on the spectrum.

Thank you so much!!

Answer 1

I have a high-functioning form of autism known as Asperger's Syndrome and yes I do have a license and do drive, I also think that it is wonderful that you are endeavoring to find out more about your son's disability. I just wish other parents were as caring and eager to learn as you are!

kudos to you!

Answer 2

I have a friend with Asperger's Syndrome, and she has her drivers license. But it will probably be revoked soon because she is not a very good driver! She is very impulsive, and I am afraid to get in the car with her because she has had two accidents in less than a year or having her license. Scary!

I would recommend finding a Drivers Education program that has a driving simulator, or find a small car-like vehicle (try a John Deere Gator) that they could practice on. Most of these vehicles are illegal on public roads, however. But see how your child reacts to being behind the wheel. Tell them that driving may be a possibility, but safety is your first and foremost concern, so if their driving abilities are under par, they may not be allowed to get a permit or a license.

I believe that with autistic people, the main concern with driving is their attention span. If they will look at a bird in the sky for ten seconds instead of glancing and then returning their eyes to the road, perhaps they are not able to drive. Driving is mainly about concentration. IQ is necessary when it comes to learning the rules of the road, and what to do in surprise situations, but as long as they keep their eyes glued to the road, they should be ok.

I have ADD, and it took awhile before I could train myself to watch the road the entire time. Even now, after driving for years, I find myself slipping, by watching a billboard or changing the radio station. I have been in many close-calls, but never had an accident.

That being said, if they are capable, then certainly do what you can to get them their license. It will increase their independence enormously, and boost their quality of life to astronomic levels! Plus, it will make them, for the most part, self-sufficient.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I'm only 14, so I can't really drive yet. However I don't see how I would have a problem driving. I love following rules, I have a good memory, I'm a quick learner, and I have pretty good reflex. I'm extremely high functioning, and I know that the sky's the limit when it comes to what I can do. However, all people with low functioning Autism can't drive at all and most people with Aspergers would have trouble reading people, which would make it hard to be a good driver unless they have a friend or parent along. I'm a exception, not a rule.

Answer 4

I have a 13 year old son on the high functioning end of the spectrum..so obviously he's not driving...yet. My husband and I would like him to learn, however, we also realize he's probably not going to be driving at 16.

A good friend of mine who is a teacher and has a son on the spectrum who is 15 says she figures these kiddos are developmentally about 2/3 of their age. So, my son who is 13 would be developmentally about 8 or 9, her son closer to 10. You know, in their cases, that's about right. On good days, they'll look older, but overall, that's hitting it pretty close. In some kiddos, you can take it to 2-3 years younger than they are, but those are high functioning and usually with an apserger's dx. So, I figure my son will start learning how to drive when he's about 20 or so. And like everything else we've had to teach him, we anticipate a very slow growth in this area.

Answer 5

I don't have autism, but I worked with a boy who had autism when I worked at the fast food chain. He was in the process of getting his license when I left. His Mum and Dad were taking things very slow and being patient and all of us were really encouraging him at work. He was very high functioning and I think he was probably a safer driver than some "normal" people from the way he paid attention to details. Good luck!

Answer 6

I have a son with Aspergers and yes he will get a license when he is ready..He learned how to drive at age 12 and was pretty good at it on the back roads in the desert... He will be 18 in November and I hope to have his permit in place so that he can get more experience behind the wheel ....Now after that he will be able to attain a license but he will have to pass all the testing etc... I hope to have him self sufficient enough to move out on his own one day..... I understand that some will never have that opportunity but for those who do I think it's great!

Answer 7

I have Autism and I have a learner's license.The reason why I don't have my driver's license yet is because I almost had an accident and I have been too scared to drive ever since. Because I have Autism, my mom would not let me get my learner's until I was about 17 years old. She was probably worried about me or something.

Answer 8

I have Asperger's Syndrome, which is a "higher functioning" form of autism. I do drive, although I didn't get my license until I was 19 because I just had no desire. I don't particularly like driving, though I'm not sure if that has to do with autism or that I just don't like it.

Answer 9

Let him learn the rules. He has to pass stage one test before he is allowed to drive on the road.
Then when he has his learners let him have driving lesson, with another brakes the instructor can control the car when needed.

You may want to consider his attention span.
And not to be distracted by other things
How he handles press when thing go wrong.

I do not have autism but have problems with coordination.
I did pass the paper test. But found it hard driving.
Some times you just don't know until you let them have a go.

Answer 10

I just got my driver's license a few months ago and I do drive. Not every day, just whenever I have to go somewhere. I have a really mild form of autism so it isn't as bad for me. Unless your child has seizures or is blind, he/she should be able to drive.