…your step-by-step guide to removing barriers to driving for neurodiverse teens and adults. This guide draws on clinical experience, research, and the lived experiences of autistic drivers and families to put you in the driver’s seat, both literally and figuratively.
Your personal worth and overall success are not dependent upon driving, but driving is one tool among many that can open doors of opportunity in your life.
This Is Not a “How to Drive” Book
…it is a prepare-to-drive book—and there is a difference.
For some people, driving can be a useful tool that supports independence, depending on their goals, environment, and needs.
Behind the Wheel with Autism will prepare teens, adults, and their parents with a thorough, step-by-step action plan that will give you your best shot at freedom and independence.
Children with Autism Grow Up to Be Adults with Autism
Every year, in the United States alone, more than 65,000 children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Much of the focus is on children with autism, but inevitably, children with autism grow up to be adults with autism.
Many autistic adults face systemic barriers to independent living, including transportation access. I know many of you are focused right now on IEPs, therapies, and getting through school, but as a neurodiverse teen or adult, this is a great time to prepare for a major milestone on your way to an independent life.
A Key to Independence
My concerns for the future lifted once I knew my son Evan could drive safely and was not dependent on others for transportation. Being able to drive is part of why Evan is an Eagle Scout and college graduate, is employed and living with his fiancée in his own apartment, runs errands, goes to the gym, and has a social life with friends.
It is nothing for him to hop in the car to go skiing, drive to the airport to visit his brothers, or take off for weekend adventures. And his mom is glad that he frequently comes to visit.
A Milestone in the Transition to Adulthood
A report from researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) notes:
Obtaining a driver’s license is a major milestone in the transition to adulthood. This milestone increases the independence and mobility of adolescents, which can potentially lead to improved access to educational, occupational training, social, and community engagement opportunities.
Limited transportation options can restrict employment and social opportunities, especially in car-dependent communities. For more information on autism and employment, see my article “The Hidden Workforce: Autism Employment Statistics and Why They Matter.”
Where Systems Fall Short
Although some studies focus on intelligence as a determining factor, measures of intelligence alone do not explain the significant gaps in employment, education, or licensing outcomes.
This reflects barriers in access, accommodation, and support rather than lack of ability or motivation. Approximately half of those with ASD have average to above-average intelligence, according to a 2014 report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), yet unemployment and underemployment run as high as 90 percent.
Only 40 percent or fewer earn a bachelor’s degree, and very few are licensed to drive.
One research study found that one out of three autistic teens with no intellectual disability get a driver’s license, compared to 85.3 percent of non-autistic teens.
For autistic adults, one-quarter hold a driver’s license, compared with almost 90 percent of non-autistic adults. Research shows autistic drivers are just as capable in the long run, highlighting uneven access and support.
Autistic teens and adults may face barriers related to health, sensory processing, executive functioning, and environmental design. Let’s explore those and break them down together in this blog and book.
An Accessible Guide
While there are many books on autism and a fair number on learning how to drive, there is a gap on the bookshelf for one that identifies the specific barriers to driving with autism spectrum disorder and how to overcome them.
Behind the Wheel with Autism offers neurodiverse teens, adults, and their families an accessible guide to achieving a driver’s license, opening the door to greater educational, employment, and social opportunities.
For those who want it, driving can be a useful tool that enhances independence, depending on their goals, environment, and needs.
Check in next time to see how Kent was able to get his driver’s license and transition to full-time employment in a job he loved.
Want to See the Research?
- Driving with Neurodevelopmental Differences – Teen Driver Source
- Autism and Driving – Teen Driver Source (CHOP)
- Promoting Autonomy Among Autistic Teens Through Driving – CIRP
- What’s Your ETA? Researchers Improving Independent Mobility for Autistic Adolescents
- Autistic People Can Drive: Here’s What They Need to Know – Healthline