As I’ve mentioned in a previous post when I struggle to know what topic I want to write about, one way I can find inspiration is by opening Google and typing in “can autistic” or “do autistic” in a browser that I’m not logged in on (so as it doesn’t know my history when asking) to inspire me with a prompt for the day.
Back to the topic at hand – Can Autistic People Drive?
Some of us can, some of us can’t. This one depends on several factors.
The thing about being Autistic is many Autistic People have multiple Brain Types and co-occurring health conditions in addition to being Autistic.
Being Autistic on its own isn’t a disqualifier for driving or having a driver’s license, but some common conditions that many Autistic People have can make driving difficult or impossible.
For example, Autistic People with sensory differences that impact depth perception and 3-D vision, motor control differences, attention difficulties, or seizures all may struggle with driving (or, depending on the intensity and combination, may be completely unable to drive). However, because not all Autistic People will experience these difficulties, not all Autistic People will struggle with driving.
Some Autistic People excel at driving.
Autistic People tend to live in extremes.
We have differences in our communication, sensory, and motor systems and how intensely we experience our emotions (and the world around us). This can show up in a variety of ways.
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It would mean a lot to me,
– Lyric
I have 2 daughters on the Autism Spectrum. My older daughter can drive, but my younger one will never drive. The older one is higher on the spectrum.
Diagnosed with AS. I drive just fine, but it has to be a manual transmission because it forces me to stay more engaged.