Can People with Asperger's syndrome learn how to drive a Car ? I have met several people with Asperger's syndrome who dr

[Veronicka]

Aspergers is such a broad diagnosis. I think half my family has it in a very high functioning way. It depends on your level of disability. Some are quite high functioning on the human scale, let alone the autism scale.

My son has Autism, not Aspergers and there is a difference. He is high functioning but he is significantly disabled. He does remarkably well considering his level of disability.

I don't think he should drive. He doesn't have the common sense in my opinion. I don't think he would be safe on the road in a high traffic zone. If he had to make a quick decision he might screw it up. I have driven with him and I don't think it is a good idea for him to drive. He lives in a busy city and takes public transportation. He doesn't need a car where he is.

He is an adult. He has his drivers license but I don't know how he got it. His dad thinks he should drive and I think he shouldn't. I manipulated things a bit so he couldn't get a car. I wouldn't let him drive without him buying insurance.

He is an adult and I can't stop him from driving because he has a license but I can make it difficult for him to get a car and insurance. I can try to talk him out of it.

If he lived here, I might be able to handle it, but not where he lives. It is scary for me to drive in that area.

I would say that you can do whatever you want. If my son could get his license, then I bet you can too. If you can get a car and insurance then nobody can really stop you from driving. If you think you can, then you can. It is up to you to take the steps to make it happen.

If you do make it happen, then take it slow and you will get better over time. I did and I was a terrible driver and I am still not good at it. I am 'normal' (ha ha) but I was never a natural.

[krmb]

Yes, I was diagnosed with ASD and I drive. I just avoid the high speed high traffic areas when possible.

[Westerntraveler]

I have a friend who has aspergers and he drives.

[Nothere1]

I am autistic and get this a lot. I grew up on a farm, so it wasn't a choice. I had to learn to drive a manual 550 ford at the age of eight. Then I had to learn to drive combines, tractors, and mowers. For my last job I had to learn how to drive and operate large farm equipment and all different types of construction equipment. It was a force of necessity and not a choice. I did however choose to ride a motorcycle, took a very long time for that, mostly because of my anxiety. Last two vacations I went on I did some driving on cliffs as I have been on the Rockies, Cascades, and Appalachians now. Everyone looked at me very oddly as I was gripping on the steering wheel with all my life and screaming loudly the entire time, I do mean the entire time. I often get confused though, being autistic, I find riding a motorcycle to be much easier and better than driving. I don't understand why I don't see more autistics riding given our stereotypic issues.

[melaniej65]

My son has Aspergers and he drives (got his dl at 16) but has always had a little car as large vehicles make him anxious. He also drives like a senior citizen and will twist himself into knots in order to avoid traffic. He never wants a passenger in his car and has to have things just so in order to relax enough to drive.

[Nothere1]

Originally Posted by melaniej65

My son has Aspergers and he drives (got his dl at 16) but has always had a little car as large vehicles make him anxious. He also drives like a senior citizen and will twist himself into knots in order to avoid traffic. He never wants a passenger in his car and has to have things just so in order to relax enough to drive.

Bingo, I think you nailed it for many of us. The only full size I OWNED was a short bed, single cab Ram. I loved it but felt like I was driving a tank, and the gas millage wasn't that far off, IMO.

[mordant]

Asperger's or high functioning autism is on "the spectrum" and I don't think it's a good idea to generalize. I would not consider such a diagnosis BY ITSELF to preclude driving a car, but if it's severe enough or co-morbid with other significant problems, then driving a car could be very unwise.

Fortunately the ability to drive a car is pretty easy to objectively assess. How responsible and careful is the OP in everyday life? Are they easily "rattled"? Can they pass the driving test? What is the opinion of the driving instructor? What is the OP's economic situation, are they able to have a car and get car insurance without becoming "car poor"?

It's worth a try, but things have changed in the past generation or so. Young people are not so obsessed with getting their driver's license and their first car, etc., and cities are more walkable / bikeable than they used to be. My son got by fine without a car in our small city, and my stepson actively dislikes driving and seeks out urban settings where he can walk, bike or bus himself where he needs to go. The social status (or lack of negative social status) that used to go with driving a car, really isn't such a big deal anymore.

[Minervah]

I knew of one person who has Asperger's (she was diagnosed by a psychiatrist) and she drives but is a terrible driver. She has come close to running over pedestrians because she just doesn't acknowledge their presence. She'll make her right turn on a red light even if someone is walking in the crosswalk. She expects other drivers to get out of HER way.

When a mutual friend asked her how she would feel if she hit someone and she just looked at her blankly. She mumbled something along the lines of "too bad, as long as I was okay."

I don't know if this has anything to do with her Asperger's but I think maybe her total lack of understanding she could do harm to others could be a sign of it in her case.

Or maybe she is just a horrible driver. She has friends who refuse to get in the car with her behind the wheel.