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Driving

NAS91568

Hi, does anyone have any stories they want to share regarding driving as an autistic person? I have been learning since early last year and just failed my practical test today. I find it really hard to judge distances/speeds of cars which means I don't know when it's safe to pull out. I got a serious fault for undue hesitation because it was a repeated issue. I just don't understand how you are meant to know, when there are so many variables and every time is different. 

I haven't disclosed my autism to the DVLA because I didn't think it affects my driving, but does anyone have any ideas about how autism affects their driving? I am thinking that maybe it's time to disclose...

Parents

  • Yep, that sort of thing starts out challenging, but practice can address it. You get a feel for it gradually,  but it takes persistence. One of the things I remember getting harangued about is that when I made a right turn, I would keep the curb in view, and that made the turns really wide. It seems like everything we learn requires more intentionality or contemplation, but that doesn't mean you can't learn it. If you're having a lot of trouble, I suggest finding some way to simulate or approximate the experience. A computer simulation might help you get a feel for distances and velocities. But only the enclosed interior will help you get a feel for how features in the world hide behind the car body, where you can't see them. You have to develop a feel or intuition for where hidden things are, like where the curb is, where the bumpers and fenders are on other vehicles.

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  • Yep, that sort of thing starts out challenging, but practice can address it. You get a feel for it gradually,  but it takes persistence. One of the things I remember getting harangued about is that when I made a right turn, I would keep the curb in view, and that made the turns really wide. It seems like everything we learn requires more intentionality or contemplation, but that doesn't mean you can't learn it. If you're having a lot of trouble, I suggest finding some way to simulate or approximate the experience. A computer simulation might help you get a feel for distances and velocities. But only the enclosed interior will help you get a feel for how features in the world hide behind the car body, where you can't see them. You have to develop a feel or intuition for where hidden things are, like where the curb is, where the bumpers and fenders are on other vehicles.

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