Experiences of learner and novice drivers with ADHD and/or ASD and their driving instructors

Introduction:Prior to obtaining a learner’s permit in Sweden, individuals with ASD or ADHD must present a medical certificate, and if there is doubt regarding a person’s fitness-to-drive, a pre-driving assessment can be... [ view full abstract ]

Introduction:Prior to obtaining a learner’s permit in Sweden, individuals with ASD or ADHD must present a medical certificate, and if there is doubt regarding a person’s fitness-to-drive, a pre-driving assessment can be necessary. Beyond this, little is known about their driving progression, particularly whether they experience any facilitators or barriers to driving education.
Procedures: To explore the experiences of individuals with ASD or ADHD, who obtained a learner’s permit and triangulate these experiences with those of their driving instructors.
Method: Data were collected from 33 participants with ASD or ADHD, as well as 9 of their driving instructors using interviews and a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data from the closed questions. Data from the open-ended questions were analysed using manifest content analysis .
Results: Individuals with ASD required twice as many driving lessons and more on-road tests than those with ADHD. The group with ADHD took more written tests. Both the driving instructors and learner drivers suggested that driving licence theory was more challenging for individuals with ADHD and that individuals with ASD found translating theory into practice and adjusting to ‘new’ driving situations the greatest challenge.
Conclusions: The findings in the current study indicated that the young adults with ADHD and ASD experienced many barriers on their journey from passing a pre-driving assessment to obtaining a driver’s licence. Furthermore, the experiences of the young driver candidates in the current study revealed that very few alternative methods of learning and instructions were implemented.