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Can Autistic People DRIVE? | Woodshed Theory
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- Опубликовано: 15 авг 2021
- Hi! I’m Claire, and this is my channel, Woodshed Theory. Here you will find the awkward ramblings of an adult autist. I love being creative and sharing my experiences with you. Subscribe to see more DIYs, Discussions, and Bunnies on your feed!
Autism has A LOT of stereotypes. One I hear about sometimes is that autistic people aren't able to drive. Well, can we? Today I am talking about if autistic people are able to drive and what my experience has been behind the wheel. I hope my point comes across and that is that we are all different and each have our own abilities.
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I can drive, but I'm either an 85 year old grandma or a 16 year old borrowing his brother's Mustang.
I love this comment lol
Really interesting. My autism / ADHD often presents itself as sensory overload and, though technically I can drive, driving is a huge source of stress for me. I particularly hate complex junctions and parking manoeuvres as I have issues with spatial awareness (poss. dyspraxia?!) and visualising what I need to do in a 3D space. Improvising and interpreting during complicated situations is really stressful.
For extra annoyance, cars have been a major special interest of mine since I was a kid, so there's an extra layer of "I should be able to do this!" on top of it all.
But - thank you for making this! I'm glad people are talking about this and it's really useful to hear your experiences.
Hi Chris I can totally relate, thanks for your comment. Driving is possible but difficult
I got my license at 18, as is customary in Germany. Quick aside: it continues to boggle my mind that in the US you don't have to go to an actual driving school but can just be taught by your parents (many of whom arguably are not great drivers themselves), but anyway ;) After getting my license I barely ever drove for 2 years because it was just SO overwhelming to me. Finally I switched to an automatic transmission car and that helped a lot because it took the whole gear shifting out of the "needs my constant attention" equation. Today I'm a fairly good driver but I still get incredibly anxious if I have to drive unfamiliar roads, especially in and around big cities. And let's not talk about driving at night/in the rain.
Who would've thought that this is common with autism!!!!
Yeah basically you get a learners permit and are allowed to practice with a licensed adult in the car. Thanks for your comment :)
Great topic. Everyone is different. For example I could not set up a shot that shows the reflection of a candle in a mirror. If after a few lessons my dad took me to the cemetery I’d run like Forrest Gump.
Haha I was so worried I would knock over a tombstone - you can totally set up that shot! I’ve seen your stuff it’s great. I just noticed that mirror mostly has clutter in the reflection when I go to film so thought I would change it up :)
@@WoodshedTheory I’m pretty sure you’re going to have far more subscribers and views than me in no time. Keep it up. And feel free to get in touch if you have any questions I can help with.
I can so relate to this. I passed my test lately and have autism + high functioning anxiety. It was all thanks to a patient instructor and super patient tester.
Thank you for talking about this! My driving experience is actually very similar to yours. I am autistic and started learning how to drive with my parents when I was 15, but I didn't know I was autistic then. It took me a long time to get fully comfortable driving. But I found myself eventually feeling very comfortable with driving, however, also like you, I have very bad anxiety that never really goes away. I can drive pretty comfortably on roads with fewer cars but get easily overwhelmed in more heavy traffic because of all the stimuli- honking, lots of cars doing all different things, other people in the car if there are any. You have to be aware of a lot all at once, which is difficult when you can't easily filter things out.
hi Emma thanks for your comment I hope you stick around - it’s nice meeting people with similar experiences
I can relate to everything you said. Only driving on quiet roads, staying away from highways, pulling your seat all the way up. I love your videos
Thanks for being here and relating to me :) happy you are here
I took small steps. I started with quiet roads (after getting my driver's license), than more busy roads, but not in city centers. Now I can drive really everywhere where I want. But Paris (and likely also Rome) is not for me. I can drive to Paris, but only to the outer districts and continue traveling with public transit. I have been there with my own car once, and that was the last time for me, being there!
I can drive but prefer not to. I commuted over an hour to work for a while and hated it, so now I live a ten minute walk from work. I would recommend anyone at all able learn to drive. I also learned in empty parking lots and that helped a lot.
Same here. Used to commute for hours and now I live close. Game changer for sure.
Yes I also was commuting for a while and it killed me - lots of breakdowns - not for me at all. Now I commute across the room lol
Good driver... when im focussed. Its my "computer game", with real consequences, so i try to anticipate as much as possible, ie: every car in my vicinity is going to do something stupid. On my motorcycle, its the above X5, bc everyone in cars WILL do something stupid.
Yes I know you need to be in the right state of mind for a motorcycle - I don’t think I’ll ever be able to do it lol
Hello Claire. I am 36 years old and I am on the Autism spectrum I have PDD-NOS. And I can drive. I have a Driver's license. And I used to have a car but I couldn't afford to keep my car.
Hi James, glad you are here. Sorry to here about your car - they can get really expensive to keep up :(
@@WoodshedTheory thank you. And yes cars can get expensive. I coui afford to keep my car after my mom passed away in 2019. So due to finances I had to let my car go.
I'm autistic, and I drive. I got my permit at 19 and my license at almost 24. It took me four tries to pass the permit test, but I passed the drive test on the first try. A lot of people were concerned about me learning how to drive because of my autism, and I felt like it was a little discriminatory. At least my mom believed in me.
I was diagnosed with autism at age 3 (I’m 26 now).
Granted, I do get a little nervous on unfamiliar routes with sometimes confusing navigation and bumper-to-bumper traffic. But I still manage, and generally speaking, I drive just the same as my neurotypical counterparts usually do.
In fact, the longest I have ever driven without a hotel was TWELVE (12) hours! I was driving home, by myself, after my sister’s wedding in October 2022. I stopped at a casino halfway through the trip for a couple hours, but had it not been for that stop, the entire trip would’ve been 5:30 AM-5:30 PM.
And yes, I can handle all that, even with autism.
I’ve also managed a full-time job as a Correctional Officer and Mailroom Clerk at the Texas prison system, while simultaneously juggling 3 college classes AND a relationship, for a whole 3 years!
Yes I do drive.. I was told that I ASD in my thirty years old. my dad tough me too drive just to make shut up don't take no for a answer. Driving is my freedom to get to work and other places. . Look at going to driving school and make sure you are ready for diving and it's right for you.🤗🎉🎈👍
I was a mess when I was learning to drive - was it a struggle for you too?
I have my 3 rules for better driving with smaller chance of car crash:
1. do not think on anything
2. do not look at anything for longer than 3 seconds to keep your attention to driving
3. the most important rule: do not make 2way conversation , just short answers or silence ,, otherwise my attention switches completely to the speaking person and i look at him NOT driving my car, not looking on the road etc. which is dangerous
Good tips
I have Autism and I don’t drive but I want too, but because of my disability my mother never taught me to drive and she never will , she believes autism people will never drive because of they endanger themselves, but I really want to go to driving school when I move out.
Hi friend! Sorry you are going through that. Not everyone with autism can drive but it is possible for some. I hope it works out for you!
I’m autistic and used to drive but stopped when I was diagnosed with epilepsy. Tbh, I always hated driving and felt way too overwhelmed doing it, so when my neurologist said he thought the migraines I was having were actually seizures (and driving/bright lights tended to trigger them) I gladly stopped driving lol. It’s been about 3 years since and I really want to try driving again so I can have some independence, but there’s a good chance I’ll just never really feel comfortable driving longer distances again. Driving at higher speeds makes me feel dizzy and disoriented, often my vision gets blurry and I feel weird like I’m underwater or outside of my body. Not sure if this is just sensory overload or what, but I’m learning to try to work with my limitations and offer myself accommodations rather than force myself to keep up with doing things that make me feel sick. Thanks for sharing your experience with this topic!
I grew up in MT and took driver's ed which really helped. Last summer we moved to PA and I'm still trying to adjust to driving with so many people around! I have a few routes I'm comfortable with but I can't drive to the city or on the highway. Any change in the environment such as snow, rain, wind, or night time makes me even more anxious about driving. Great video topic! 👍
Yes it must be hard to swap to so many people driving around you. I have really benefited from meds where driving is concerned
I was driving 40 years before I found out that I am autistic. Learning was not really a big issue. I just did driver's ed in school like everyone else. I have learned to recognise when I am getting triggered and stop for a few minutes. Stuck in traffic is a problem, and I will often look for a place to stop when I get past the jam. I live in a small town, but have no trouble driving to the city, or taking a long road trip. I usually do not play the radio. Oh, and life is easier to deal with barefoot👣
I’m autistic, 42 and have not been able to drive with all the sensory, irritability, depression and anxiety struggles. Now I also have poor vision and hearing and some other things I have going on I’m trying to find out what it is from my doctors.
Sorry to hear this Jim, how do you normally get around? I know many ASD people use Uber.
I get around whenever my very busy mom is available and my doctor appointments. I have never taken Uber which is unaffordable though I won’t take it or use other transportation also do to sensory, irritability, depression and anxiety so I just go out whenever my mom is available or once in a while my uncle may pick me up for something. Occasionally I get to go out and do yard work jobs like at my cousins or wherever.
I've always had severe motion sickness in cars. It was socially acceptable for a child, but now I am 35 and there is a 50/50 chance I will throw up in a bag every time I have to get a taxi. It's embarrassing. Just this Monday I had an idea 💡 to google if there's a link between ASD and unusual motion sickness. Din-din-ding, there is!
That’s interesting - I’ve only had a problem a few times
I do remember experiencing the same type of fears when I first started driving.
I was taught how to drive at 17 but I didn't get my drivers license till I was 18. My first car was a vw bug, I didn't want to get my drivers license until I was very comfortable with it because I didn't want to look stupid while testing. After the test was complete the guy told me I past and then he praised me saying "what I'm about to tell you is rare to see. You have a rare gift, you actually know your vehicle." I sat there puzzled thinking "well of course how can you not know what you're driving? It's a vw bug and I can tell you what size engine block it has." 😆 later my mom had to explain what he meant.
My husband tells me that my vehicle and I have a weird connection.
yes why would you do anything without being 150% prepared? lol
This was another thing that made me gatekeep myself; even though people have just casually categorized me as a spectrumy person , when I hear the driving thing , the concept of space and time thing, then I yeah -no myself back towards maybe inattentive add. I grew up taking car trips and unlike most people I know, as a kid I’d sleep peacefully or just zone out , staring out the window. I thought this was a self-evident thing to do; this was before cars were rolling movie theaters for bored children, plus I was an only child for several years.
I was just in disbelief when my younger sibling reached driving age and didn’t have a nearly-full visual replay of the route to our relatives’ houses two hours away, I’m a huge visual imprinter. I like to drive, generally alone, but I did ride a ton with my dad and sibling listening to maybe six different albums for stretches of two weeks. It was a foregone conclusion that I would drive when I was old enough. As spacy as I am, and I *am* prone to highway hypnosis if it’s late, I was the only person in my tiny tiny peer group to not flunk the driving test at age sixteen. Admittedly, I’m from a small town snd they didn’t test on, say, parallel parking. Oh no. I had to learn that skill decades later under extreme duress.
But I have good visual recall and like my father, I love figuring out as many routes as possible to get somewhere. It’s like playing a video game where unexplored parts of the map are dark. I also don’t like freeways; I do have slowish response time so I don’t like merging and I hate left hand turns at lights. I dream of driving; of roads and bridges and antique shops , and part of loving to drive now is to put new visual input “in the hopper” and see how it might come out in my dreamhead.
And now I’m off to look for videos about dreamscapes, but thank you for this content!
Thanks Kendal - that is a very interesting story - i would also zone out in the car but i always had trouble later getting around because i wasnt paying attention
I had a CDL "B" and drove a trash truck for five years. Do not get me wrong I hated it. IT was extremely loud, Smelly and IU had to drive but I was able to do it no matter the pain. Most of us are not able to do this. My place on the spectrum simply allowed me to. We are all different and have different capabilities. My sister in law can not drive as it is too much stimulus.
That is amazing I don't know if I would ever be able to relax if i drove something that big!
I can drive, but I don't like it. Driving makes me anxious.
Thanks for sharing :)
I've often wondered if I could drive with enough practice.
Currently there are too many things to keep track of at the same time and too high a cost to failure.
Plus cops are not as nice to incompetent males 😒
Yeah i totally get it, yes 100% if I were a male he wouldn’t have let me off so easy
Im working on trying to learn how to drive right now since it will expand my opportunities
I can operate a car, but however I’m nervous about driving primarily because of the social aspect since drivers here are basically idiots or jerks (I’ve already had bad experience with some while on my bicycle)
Additionally the Car insurance is too damn high for someone my age (20 year old male)
Also getting pulled over by cops really scares me since I don’t go well with authority and the police here are notoriously corrupt and can be brutal (Albuquerque and New Mexico has one of the highest rates of police shootings in the country)
Wow yeah it’s a lot to take in - I’m surprised I drive tbh
While I'm not officially diagnosed my initial screening they told me they feel I'm "very high functioning". Despite the likelihood of being high functioning autism I've spent 9yrs in the Army, 3yrs law enforcement, and I've drive an 18 Wheeler for a living for nearly 14yrs now. I love trucking given I like to travel and I'm a natural at driving. Also I like the fact I'm alone and don't have to deal with people much.
Yeah it’s hard with the functioning labels because it doesn’t really describe the personal experience. I may function highly to others but inside It’s totally different
@@WoodshedTheory I hear ya. No doubt I woulda gotten my official diagnosis of autism had I continued. For them to feel I'm "very high functioning" as they put it on my first & only screening then that's enough validation for me. That label affects other things like employment, benefits eligibility like life insurance, and some other civil rights are in question that u could possibly lose. I used my aspie superpower of hyperfocus & all to beat my diabetes I was diagnosed with over 6yrs ago. Even was given a 2nd job by a diabetes website as a contributer. My RUclips channel isn't about autism but rather fitness, weight loss, and motivation. But I do hate watching myself talk in my videos because the autism shows with my monotonal voice and expressionless face. Always a reminder of the autism since I've found out.
I talked about this in another video but I’ll give the quick summary before I go into an anecdote. I have exam anxiety pretty severely. I would study my b*tt of for the written exam sit down to take said exam and not be able to remember anything. It took me six times to pass the written and four for the practical exam behind the wheel. I didn’t get my license until I was 26 and you could start trying for your license at age 18(I’m from the Netherlands).
I did finally pass the driving exam because even tho I didn’t know it yet but I had autism and I needed to find an instructor who could teach me in my way way.
Okay anecdote time(hi neurotypical I have autism this is an example of how autistics relate). That same driving instructor was sone one who would also teach people skid courses. When then wet the driving surface and they make you slide over the surface and teach you to get the car under control again. I had this driving instructor for a few winters. Every winter he would take me to a very wide road and he would teach me what ti do when the road is slippery and the car starts sliding. It the best time I’ve ever had in a car and since then I have had to use these teaching when my car started hydroplaning. Very valuable lessons.
i think i underestimate the accomplishment it is that i can drive or that i i learned to drive before my dx
+WoodshedTheory *Driving not safe for the autistic? I put the lie onto THAT notion!* In fact, I can't get enough gears in a passenger car! My currently down GMC® M11006 (engine needs a valve job as of December 2022) was slated for not just _any_ stickshift retrofit, but a MAGNA® 7MTI550 with a granny low and two staged overdrives; also slated for a full-mechanical clutch-release mechanism to work around the brakes' Hydro-Boost™. Always conservative on driving tactics, refuse to burn out even upgrade brakes from a Class 3 truck. _In my element,_ even squeezing in a breathing exercise, in traffic.
some asd people love to drive!
I just can't stand public transportation and packed with all the people inside. So driving is essential.
I understand it’s so important for independence so I’m grateful I’m able to do it
I can't drive.
Thank goodness for rideshare!
I am autistic and i can't drive due to also haveing dyspraxcia and epilepsy. I love cars and motorsports they are two of my special interests, i have noticed that many race car drivers of the past and present, including some very good ones are likely autistic in my view, i won't name them as armchair diagnosis is problematic but just something i've noticed, by the way what type of car do you drive and how many miles/kilometers has it done
Hi there - I just drive a boring old car with lots of miles 😂
I dont drive. Im 23 and would love to get my drivers license. I did browns driving school and at the time I was on vyvanse for ADHD. My drives were after school (this was back in HS) which sucked bc that would mean that my medication had worn off. My first drive was a nightmare. I witnessed someone in a pretty back wreak in the neighborhood I was practicing in (She was an elderly lady)-they backed out of their driveway, hitting a mail box and then driving into someone else's front part of their house. I also got honked at when at a four way stop which made me even more scared. People are dicks when it comes to driving and that's the biggest issue for me when it comes to driving. Yes I have control issues and Other people driving like asses on the road doesn't help very much especially for a young driver. Another time was when I was 17 and I was practicing with my dad around my neighborhood. I guess I spaced out or dissociated and ended up hitting a mailbox. the guy whos mailbox I hit was a police man off duty and called the cops. My mom and dad yelled at me for doing that and it sort of became a joke in our family afterwards. I told a few friends that next day and they laughed and I guess now looking back at it, they were making fun of me for hitting a mailbox. It was very humiliating which is why I haven't driven anymore. Just today, I was sitting in our car waiting for my mom to get her nails done. The car shut off (one of those push button start cars) and I turned it back on. I ended up getting hot but just delt with it and it turned out the engine/battery wasn't on (maybe a safety mode). I thought I had broken the car and sat in a car with the AC blowing hot air out for two hours while listening to music. I still feel bad even if it was my fault. I am now no longer allowed to sit in the car with it on by myself bc of what happened.
sorry you had a poor experience
I have autism and I love driving. But when I drive long distances, I shouldn't drive more than 5 hours a day, although I take a break of about 30 min. after every 2 hours of driving.
I can drive everywhere. On small roads in the forests, between farmlands, but also on highways and very busy areas, like metropoles like Berlin, Amsterdam, Brussels, Prague, Copenhagen, I just do it. I also drove in the UK, at the left side (steering wheel at the right side). It is strange, but I like to do it. I have to think a bit more than in other countries where I have been driving.
Some ASD people love to drive!
@@WoodshedTheory I alos get very good at multitasking. I can drive, navigate with Google Maps on unfamiliar roads an have a chat with a passenger in my car at the same time. I switch my thoughts several times a second, like a computer does, so I can multitask that way.
Well, I do. It took a while but I got pretty good (and have the motorsport trophies to prove it).
I like driving cause I feel more in control actually
I get motion sick as a passenger, but not as a driver.
i get a lot of anxiety as a passenger but not as much as a driver @@coldservings