Learning to drive is an important milestone for many young adults, but for parents of children with autism, the journey can come with unique challenges and concerns. Can autistic people drive? This question often arises as families navigate the road to independence.
Luckily, driving with autism is not impossible! Although it requires patience and overcoming challenges that other people usually don’t face, it’s definitely worth it.
When it comes to autism and driving, it’s all about support and practice. Being here is the first step in helping your child, so let’s explore how you can support them through the process of learning to drive, from handling anxieties to building the necessary skills.
Can autistic people drive?
Yes, autistic people can drive! While every individual on the autism spectrum is unique, many autistic individuals successfully learn to drive and thrive behind the wheel. The key lies in understanding their specific strengths and challenges.
Some may require additional practice with coordination, sensory processing, or navigating unpredictable road situations, but with patience, tailored instruction, and support, they can become confident drivers.
Encouraging independence in this area can open up new opportunities for work, social interaction, and personal freedom, empowering autistic individuals to take control of their journeys.
Autism and driving: Common challenges
People with autism spectrum disorders often struggle with some key aspects that can affect their ability to drive. These struggles can have a wide range of severity from person to person, and their impact varies greatly for each individual.
Here are some of the common autistic people face when driving:
- motor skills and coordination challenges
- mental flexibility issues
- reduced visual perception
- poor planning skills
- attention problems
- slower hazard detection times
- cognition issues: working memory, intellectual disability
- multi-tasking complications
Executive functioning issues can take their toll even on those with high-functioning autism. However, with proper preparation, lots of practice driving, and optimal learning conditions, teens and young adults with autism can become great drivers.
Strengths of driving with autism
Some qualities common to autism promote good driving. One of them is rigidity in thinking.
Autistic individuals often adhere closely to rules, enjoy detailed planning, and do well with consistency. These traits can help them be safe drivers and enable them to appreciate some aspects of driving.
Planning a road trip, regardless of how long, is important. The fact that traffic lights, traffic laws, and visual clarity of things like road signs are all the same across the country can be helpful.
Knowing what to expect and being able to plan accordingly can promote confidence, reduce anxiety, and make preparing to drive somewhere more fun.
Of course, rigidity has a flip side—carefully laid plans may be changed suddenly, which can cause problems when driving. These things can be prepared for, and we, as parents and driving instructors, can help.
Ensuring an autistic person is ready for driving
Are autistic people allowed to drive? Yes. But how can we know our loved one is ready for it? Determining readiness is a key factor when deciding when to allow our children and young adults to take their driver’s test. Often, this starts years before they are even of age.
Working with a developmental pediatrician can be one of the first steps and one of the earliest implementations we can make to prepare our child for driving and the future.
Neurodevelopmental differences can be addressed early, and our child can build a foundation throughout their early years that will be beneficial when it is time to practice driving.
An occupational therapist can help our child with autism tackle some of the executive functioning challenges they may have.
Physical therapy can help with decreased motor skills, and help build many other skills for our children, making the process of becoming good drivers easier down the line.
The more help they receive before they are ready for driving, the more equipped they will be when it is time to practice driving. Most of the time, when they are ready, they will know before we do.
Teaching your autistic child how to stay safe while driving
What helpful information can we make sure our autistic child knows before they get their driver’s license? How can we help them define and reach their driving goals?
Here is a list of things our children can learn that can reduce their anxiety and help them, as well as us, feel more confident with them behind the wheel:
- taking care of a car
- changing tires
- when to add air to the tires, and how much
- changing oil
- what to do in an accident
- switching to new routes
- how to utilize technology
- planning around weather hazards and changing plans at the last minute
- what to do if a police officer is pulling them over for a traffic violation
It is important that any constructive criticism we give is clear and promotes calm.
Teaching our child with autism to drive requires more planning and clear instructions, and they may benefit from a “Plans A, B, and C” approach:
- Plan A: Driving somewhere with no issues;
- Plan B: Taking into consideration other drivers. They can learn to anticipate road rage, not following the rules, and potential hazards that could all impose a need to adjust;
- Plan C: Accidents, traffic violations, needing to find other ways to go on maps, multitasking, and attitude adjustments.
These plans can all require the need for cognitive flexibility, good judgment, and alternative forms of transportation.
When should an autistic person avoid driving?
What kinds of issues might make it impossible or unadvisable for an individual with autism to drive? Here are a few:
- comorbid conditions (i.e., epilepsy)
- severe intellectual disability
- severity of other autism symptoms: behavioral issues, impaired motor skills, etc.
It is important to note that some of the above may mean the person would not be able to drive at all, or it could mean they would need some accommodations to make it safe (for example, medications or modifications to vehicles).
Driving safely with autism
With guidance and support, people with autism can learn the necessary skills to become confident and good drivers. I hope some of the ideas and suggestions will help your child on their road to success.
FAQs
Q: Does autism make it hard to drive?
A: Autism can affect driving skills due to challenges with sensory processing, coordination, and attention. However, many autistic individuals can learn to drive with the right support and practice.
Q: Can I drive if I have autism?
A: Yes, autistic individuals can drive if they feel comfortable and are able to develop the necessary skills, although some may benefit from tailored driving lessons or additional practice.
Q: Are autistic people allowed to drive?
A: Yes, autistic people are allowed to drive, as long as they meet the same licensing requirements as any other driver and feel capable of handling driving tasks safely.
References
Chee, D. Y. T., Lee, H. C. Y., Patomella, A. H., & Falkmer, T. (2019). Investigating the driving performance of drivers with and without autism spectrum disorders under complex driving conditions. Disability and rehabilitation, 41(1), 1-8. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09638288.2017.1370498
Daly, B. P., Nicholls, E. G., Patrick, K. E., Brinckman, D. D., & Schultheis, M. T. (2014). Driving behaviors in adults with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 44, 3119-3128. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-014-2166-y
Wilson, N. J., Lee, H. C., Vaz, S., Vindin, P., & Cordier, R. (2018). Scoping review of the driving behaviour of and driver training programs for people on the autism spectrum. Behavioural neurology, 2018(1), 6842306. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1155/2018/6842306
Articles for further reading:
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- Autism and Decision-Making: Overcoming the Challenges
- Homes for Autistic Adults: What are the Options?
- Autistic Regression in Adults: All You Need to Know
- Understanding Autistic Meltdowns in Adults
