When I was growing up, I adored going on car rides. Whether it was a five- to 10-minute trip to the grocery store, or an hour-and-a-half ride to my grandparents, I saw going in the car as a way to get out of the house, but most importantly, to enjoy the various surroundings. I would always look out at billboards, businesses, foliage, and see if anything changes from the last time I saw it. Was the billboard promoting Geico insurance, and now is it promoting the return of the McRib at McDonald’s? Let’s drop everything and go get some right away. Is the elementary school being renovated to add a preschool center? Let’s guess what the colors and architectural design will be. What colors will the leaves be in late-August compared to late-October? We’ll have to drive by in two months and compare the difference. I also saw car rides as a way for me to spend time and catch up with family and friends as we were on the way to school, work, concerts, parties, and anywhere to which we were heading. We would share our plans, thoughts, exciting plans, and fears, and laugh, cry, smile, and disagree with the flow of our conversations. I was so wrapped around the entertainment and merriment of what the next car ride will be that I never necessarily thought about how car rides would go if I was the driver.
As I got into my teenage years, I decided I was in no hurry to start driving. I appreciated the luxury of having my parents driving me everywhere, I felt that driving a car would give me a sensory overload and I would have difficulty learning all of the pedals and controls. My parents respected my wishes, and they told me that if I want to learn how to drive, I can come to them at any time. Although I wasn’t 100% ready and confident to get behind the wheel, I got my permit when I was 17 in the fall of 2014. Over the next few months, I became more curious about driving, so I would ask my parents questions about using the gas, how the turn signals work, how to turn the lights on, and the like. On a hot summer afternoon in 2015, my mom took me to the parking lot that’s across from Lake Chauncy in Westborough, Massachusetts, to try out driving in our Honda CR-V. I was anxious about the experience because of how much acceleration comes from tapping the gas, so we would jolt forward and then I would tap the brake to prevent losing control. My stress caused me to avoid getting behind the wheel for the next three-and-a-half years. I would even close my eyes and tilt my head on car rides because I would get more anxious seeing folks driving their cars like maniacs such as weaving and drifting all over the highway.
With the help of my parents and therapist, they encouraged me to take up driving so I can have more freedom to run errands and go on runs anywhere at any time. They also wanted me to look more in the car because I would have to look around behind the wheel, and besides, I enjoyed looking around at the sights on all of those rides growing up. I took their advice and on a misty, damp Sunday in February 2019, my dad took me to a parking lot at a middle school in Putnam, Connecticut, for another attempt at driving practice. We used a Jeep Wrangler for the practice, and I became much more comfortable because there isn’t a sudden jolt on the gas unlike the CR-V, which made me not as stressed. Despite taking some time learning how to properly steer, I became more and more at ease with the car’s bells and whistles. I even practiced with the CR-V, too, and I learned to get past my anxiety with the sudden jolt when pressing the gas. I learned to tap it gently and not to slam on it and go off flying. On March 14, nearly three weeks after returning to practice driving, I re-acquired my permit. I spent the summer driving nearly every day, learning the rules of the road as I started to build my driver persona. I was cautious about the rules of the road, such as stopping at red lights and stop signs, abiding by the posted speed limits, checking blind spots and mirrors, and not engaging with reckless drivers on the highway. After multiple rounds of safe driving, my parents felt I was ready to go for the license. I took driver’s education and lessons in June and July, and we booked my test for August 16. I didn’t parallel park, but I did do a three-point turn and some practice with the right-of-way at stop signs. Lastly, I had to back the CR-V into a spot. I had three attempts, and on the first two, I was off by a few inches. The third time, with a little help from the reverse camera and mirrors, I got the car in the lines. Afterward, the test examiner and I went inside the DMV to get me a driver’s license.
I felt very proud of acquiring my license because, in a six-month period, I went from not looking out the window in the car to being fully engaged with my surroundings. I became more accustomed to knowing all of the buttons and gadgets inside the car, and I got used to the other reckless drivers out on the roads. Unfortunately, I did have an incident that put me in that reckless-driving club. On my first solo drive the day I got my license, I went to go get Chinese food to celebrate my accomplishment. On my way home I was waiting to turn left onto Route 169 from Harrisville Road in Pomfret, Connecticut. I was stopped at the stop sign, waiting for the cross traffic to clear. I could see the traffic from the right well, but the view was restricted from the left. It took nearly a minute before I thought there was a safe gap. As I saw a gap from the right, and no cars coming from the left. I thought I was clear to go. However, the immediate second I started to proceed, a fast car came in from the left. I overcorrected to avoid hitting it and drifted into a nearby driveway. Miraculously, there wasn’t a crash. I was extremely apologetic when talking to the other driver, and, since there wasn’t a collision, we went our separate ways. I am very thankful to God for watching out for me and preventing a disaster. Moreover, after the close call, I developed anxiety about making turns with restricted views. My parents and therapist told me that I shouldn’t avoid them because there might be times where I’ll have to make a left or right turn and not have the best vantage point. To gain experience and boost my confidence, on car rides with my parents, they would go to junctions with restricted views, so I could get a feel for how to pull out when I know it’s safe. They said to pull out as quickly as possible, which is something I didn’t master with the close call I had. At each restricted-view junction, I have come across since the close call over a year ago, I have learned to look twice in both directions, and as soon as there’s an opening, enter the road without hesitation. Using that technique has made me less stressed behind the wheel, and I am more confident about my skills and persona as a defensive driver.
For anyone with autism wanting to learn how to drive, it involves more than remembering rules. A lot of autistic people are excellent at abiding by rules (myself included), which increases their chances of becoming safe drivers. Autismspeaks.org discusses several characteristics anyone should use while driving, which include:
Social judgment and perspective-taking —> Asking and answering questions such as “Is the driver in the opposing lane going to allow me to turn in front of him?”
Fine and gross motor skills —> Can the driver use the controls in an effective and timely manner?
Physical coordination —> Maneuvering a vehicle requires the driver to use hands and feet simultaneously and in coordination.
Planning —> A driver needs to know how to follow a route and understand when the car needs gas or service.
Cognitive flexibility —> A driver needs to figure out to do when the unexpected happens (i.e., road closures, rain/snow, flat tire).
Sustained attention —> Drivers need to keep their full attention for the entire length of a trip, no matter how short or long.
Impulse control and emotion regulation —> A driver must know how to respond and react to road ragers, being pulled over by police, or if he or she sees someone not abiding by the rules of the road.
Multitasking and prioritizing —> For safety’s sake, a driver must continually evaluate what should be foremost in his or her attention and screen out distractors as needed.
I, along with many folks on the spectrum, tend to have overstimulation with sights, sounds, smells, and other sensory information in the environment. It is vital for anyone to consider situations such as heavy traffic, highway speeds, or a profusion of road signs that will be a factor in his or her driving conditions.
Often, the thought of driving a vehicle can be stressful and provoke anxiety for many teens and young adults on the spectrum. Furthermore, drivers must know the appropriate manners to react to any given situation on the road. Anita Lesko goes over several tips for anyone on the spectrum learning to drive. She mentions:
Allowing frequent breaks during driving lessons to let each piece of information settle in and not overwhelm someone.
Driving on familiar roads until fully comfortable. New routes can be overwhelming and should be avoided until the person is comfortable handling the vehicle and dealing with traffic in familiar surroundings.
Teaching the driver to remain calm when others break the rules of the road.
Explaining what road rage is and how to avoid instigating another driver.
Teaching him or her that playing music while driving might be a distraction.
Lesko discusses how going to empty parking lots on weekend mornings would help drivers be more at ease about practicing driving simulations. Doing so is great because the huge space will allow the driver to know how to operate the wipers, defroster, and other buttons and gadgets while in motion. Parking lots are also fantastic for practicing parallel parking and backing into a space (both are important for the driving test). I had lots of success improving and strengthening my driving skills by going to parking lots to practice. The wide space allowed me to get me used to the pedals, as well as operating the buttons simultaneously. After three to four trials in a lot, I was ready to bump it up a notch by going to practice on the main roads.
Driving may seem stressful to a lot of teenagers at first, but as time progresses, they will get the hang of it and more used to the bells and whistles of operating a vehicle. With almost two years of driving experience under my belt, I feel more comfortable being behind the wheel and my driving capabilities have improved. While that might be the case, I’m not an expert driver, and I continue to find ways to improve my style. I’m more engaged with how fast to take a curve, the layout of the roads in our area (hilly or flat?), and navigating parking lots and dense areas with lots of cars. If anyone feels discouraged about his or her driving not long after he or she gets a license, there is no reason to panic. Driving experts and instructors say that it can as long as five years for someone to become an experienced driver. There is a lifetime for improvement for teenagers and young adults on the spectrum to improve their driving skills, and learning from mistakes is a fantastic approach to see what can be improved for next time. We always learn as we go along with our lives, so knowing right from wrong will help build the confidence of autistic drivers and make them more experienced and defensive on the roads.
Sources used
- https://ibcces.org/blog/2020/07/02/driving-car-autism-different/
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