Learning to drive is a milestone full of excitement—but it can also bring challenges. Over the years in my clinic, parents and caregivers frequently shared with me the barriers their teen or adult children experience. Understanding these challenges can help families plan supports, practice strategies, and build confidence step by step.
To make sense of the wide range of concerns, I’ve grouped them into categories: physical/health factors, cognitive and processing skills, executive functioning, behavioral/emotional regulation, and driving-specific skills.
1. Physical and Health FactorsSome barriers are related to overall health and physical readiness for driving: (see my multi-award-winning first book, The Un-Prescription for Autism, to get a head start on addressing these!)
- Sleep deprivation and fatigue
- Being sick frequently
- Seizure disorders
- Certain medications (I promise an entire future chapter is devoted to this topic!)
- Vision difficulties, even with new glasses (See my article Seeing the Road Ahead, Why Vision Skills Matter Before Learning to Drive here.)
- Coordination challenges
- Brain fog (see my companion articles, What Brain Fog Means and Why It Matters for Autistic People here, and Managing Brain Fog in Autistic Teens and Adults: Practical Strategies here.)
Addressing these factors first can make practice much safer and less stressful.
2. Cognitive and Processing Skills
Driving requires rapid thinking, judgment, and attention:
- Trouble with focus and attention
- Distractibility
- Slow processing and reaction times
- Literal thinking
- Intellectual disability or cognitive impairment
- Immaturity
- Poor judgment
- Difficulty with multistep directions
- Multitasking and sequencing
Supporting cognitive skills through targeted practice, breaking tasks into steps, and using visual cues can help learners feel more confident.
3. Executive Functioning and Safety Awareness
Being ready to drive isn’t only about physical or cognitive ability—it’s also about decision-making:
- Can’t judge how fast other cars are going
- Cannot recognize danger
- Not aware of the responsibilities that come with driving
- Getting passed by vehicles with emergency lights or sirens
- Frustration or anger at other drivers
Explicit coaching, simulations, and discussion of real-world scenarios can help strengthen executive functioning and safety awareness.
4. Behavioral and Emotional Regulation
Emotions influence driving more than many families realize:
- Difficult behaviors
- Anger issues
- Easily frustrated, emotional outbursts
- Getting mad at other drivers
Teaching coping strategies, mindfulness, and emotional regulation can make learning and eventual driving experiences calmer and safer. For some inspiring research on this, see my article Building Confidence Behind the Wheel: How Emotional Skills + Practice Can Help Autistic Learners Succeed here. If you’d like some actionable steps on how to translate the research findings into your daily driving habits, see my article What Emotional Regulation and Executive Skills Look Like in Everyday Driving Practice here.
5. Driving-Specific Skills
Some barriers relate directly to practical driving tasks:
- Can’t pass the written exam
- Parallel parking (difficulty judging space, hitting curbs)
Targeted instruction, repeated practice in low-pressure settings, and adaptive techniques can turn these challenges into achievable skills.
As a parent, it can be daunting to watch your teen or adult learner face these barriers, but I’ve learned that they aren’t roadblocks—they’re areas where support makes all the difference. By celebrating small wins, breaking skills into manageable steps, and addressing emotional, cognitive, and physical challenges along the way, we can help our learners build confidence and independence safely. Progress may be gradual, but every practice session, every little success, and every mile of encouragement brings them closer to becoming capable, confident drivers.