Can People with Asperger's syndrome learn how to drive a Car

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equestriatola
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08 Mar 2013, 11:16 pm

Yes, I can. :D


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LupaLuna
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09 Mar 2013, 2:54 am

I've been driving for over 25 years now. only been in 2 (not at fault) accidents and never got a ticket.



Tyri0n
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09 Mar 2013, 5:20 am

It's not Asperger's itself that interferes with learning to drive a car but one or more sensory processing disorders that frequently goes along with Asperger's. I am towards the mild end because I did (eventually) learn to drive, even though I'm still horrific at it, even after multiple years of doing it. It took 3 driving tests to get my license, and I honestly should not have been allowed to get it even then.

But it's got nothing to do with AS itself.



hans66
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08 May 2013, 2:30 am

mikecartwright wrote:
Can many people with Asperger's syndrome drive if they do drive can they drive on a highway or freeway ?

Yes they can. It is part of the lessons. Why would highways be different frrom other road types? Driving on a highway is pretty easy, compared to driving in small streets with many junctions, parked cars, people that see you too late, for whom you have to brake very fast. My driving instructor said: "Driving in such small streets is the real art of driving. Driving on a freeway is very easy. My 5 year old nephew would be able to do this, although it is illegal."

The most important skills on a highway is inserting from a ramp into the traffic that is already there. And then - when you are on it - reading the signpost to take the right route to your destination.

At the other hand, I dare drive with a very high speed in German Autobahnen (where there is no speed limit). I drove about 170 km/h (about 100 MPH) there. There were no other cars there. If the Autobahn has too many curves and cars, I dare not drive faster than 130 km/h (about 80 MPH).



beneficii
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08 May 2013, 3:07 am

Yes, I got my learner's permit at 16 and a license at 17. I've passed every driving test I've taken. I've had accidents and tickets, but I am very comfortable driving. It's one of the few instances where I can actually feel "one" with something and where I don't feel dissociated--the others are listening to my favorite music, working on a programming/math problem, putting out "fires" at my job, etc. I also find driving a substitute for pacing/wandering where I'm listening to music at the same time, and often I will just play music and drive and drive even though I'm not really going anywhere; I'll go to fun streets where the speed limit is higher than you'd normally think it, where it seems "anomalous."



hans66
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08 May 2013, 3:26 am

Thinking of it. I see the terms highway and freeway. A freeway is - as I understood - a toll-free highway. In the Netherlands and in some other countries the "autosnelweg" is normally defined as freeway, free to ride on, unlike in France and Italy.

The maximum speed (unless marked otherwise) is normally 130 km/h (80 MPH). Exceptions are marked as 120 km/h (75 MPH) and 100 km/h (about 62 MPH).



hans66
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08 May 2013, 3:34 am

howzat wrote:
I know some people with Asperger's Syndrome that can drive a car and come across as quite careful drivers and quite knowledgeable so yes they can learn how to drive but not everybody can as they might have other health issues that prevents them from driving.


Talking about health. I am myopic, which means I wear glasses (I can see things properly near me without glasses, but I need glasses to look farther away). Until a few weeks ago I had glasses that were too "weak". That meant that I can see forward several tens of yards in front of me, but that is not enough for driving. Seeing and looking when driving is extremely important so I should not have issues with that. Therefore, I ordered new glasses which are stronger and which give unlimited sight.



hans66
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08 May 2013, 3:52 am

Jaden wrote:
Ichinin wrote:
Here is one thing that you can use to learn how to drive - like a normal person.


I want to state for the record that a virtual simulation will not prepare someone in any way (other than maybe visual stimulation), for driving in the real world. You have variables such as how each car handles, as well as people that could randomly either drive into you, or walk into the street. There's weather to consider and how your vehicle handles in that as well as about 100 other things that can happen in just a 5 minute drive down one street. Aside from visuals, a simulation is useless in teaching people how to drive a real car.


I definitely agree. Driving a simulator on a PC is way different from driving a real car. I watched this video, and I saw way more driving mistakes than was displayed in German. If you want to have a simulator which is close to real car driving, the equipment must actually be a modified stationary car where the pedals and the steering wheel is connected to a computer. The front and side window, and the mirrors to look at the traffic behind you must al be simulated with very good an realistic graphics. Such a simulator is so expensive that driving a real car is way cheaper for the driving pupil.



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08 May 2013, 4:03 am

hans66 wrote:
Jaden wrote:
Ichinin wrote:
Here is one thing that you can use to learn how to drive - like a normal person.


I want to state for the record that a virtual simulation will not prepare someone in any way (other than maybe visual stimulation), for driving in the real world. You have variables such as how each car handles, as well as people that could randomly either drive into you, or walk into the street. There's weather to consider and how your vehicle handles in that as well as about 100 other things that can happen in just a 5 minute drive down one street. Aside from visuals, a simulation is useless in teaching people how to drive a real car.


I definitely agree. Driving a simulator on a PC is way different from driving a real car. I watched this video, and I saw way more driving mistakes than was displayed in German. If you want to have a simulator which is close to real car driving, the equipment must actually be a modified stationary car where the pedals and the steering wheel is connected to a computer. The front and side window, and the mirrors to look at the traffic behind you must al be simulated with very good an realistic graphics. Such a simulator is so expensive that driving a real car is way cheaper for the driving pupil.


Also the momentum is not add in the simulation that you will feel on your body.



hans66
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09 May 2013, 12:55 am

What I mean with a good driving simulator is the following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neG8pwCjxuk

Note that the signs are Dutch (according to Europe). The Dutch traffic rules apply. I will translate the messages the movie shows into English:

0:00 DRIVING SCHOOL [not translated] introduces the driving simulator;
0:25 ANWB, BOVAG, TNO, TU DELFT recommend; start your driving course with a driving simulator;
0:59 Follow the driving simulator course, spend less money for your driving lessons;
2:02 Training driving under hard circumstances, trainen on Grip- or Slip circuit;
2:40 The driving simulator registrates your looking behaviour;
2:58 [Not translated because of avoiding spam]
3:41 Prepare your lessons online and replay them;
4:24 [Not translated]



hans66
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09 May 2013, 1:03 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDe7cRY7UXI

The most modern driving simulator. It will also let you experience the forces on your body while driving. :)



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09 May 2013, 7:31 am

I've been driving since 16. I hit a deer once but never had an "accident" yet, nor tickets. I'm mostly leery of driving in urban areas because there's too much going on around me. I'm afraid I'm going to hit a pedestrian one of these days. I have a certain level of anxiety about traveling in a car in general because my brother died in a car accident. If I don't have to go somewhere I won't.



KF2M
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09 May 2013, 10:25 am

I don't drive a car, I drive a Jeep.. Then again who needs roads? :lol:



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09 May 2013, 9:19 pm

mikecartwright wrote:
Can People with Asperger's syndrome learn how to drive a Car ?

I had my first car when I was 13. It was a '39 Dodge Coupe. It was up on blocks in a field when I bought it. I got it running. My second car I bought for $10 when I was 15. It was a sales stunt. First come got it, and stayed there in the sales lot all night long.


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CharlesMabe
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23 Apr 2014, 10:35 pm

Eh, I will never be able to drive. Too much to keep track of, and my mind seems to be incapable of navigating to new places. I'd be driving slower than an old woman anyway. People should be happy that I'm not on the road.

Still, I'm just an aspie with sensory overload, heavy introversion, and an attachment disorder. One might think that someone as smart as me could drive, but no, I can't. My brain is already being used by too many things to be able to drive safely and to find the target location. Meh.


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LupaLuna
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24 Apr 2014, 5:10 pm

I have been driving since I was 12 years old. I even drove trackers, concubines and backhoes. When I work at the marina, I drove all kind of watercraft from 10ft fishing boats to sail boats, jet skis, power boats and house ferries all the way up to cigarette boats and multimillion dollar yachts. When you work as a harbor boy(water valet) at a marina. not only do you have to know how to drive the boats, but you have to also learn how to maneuver them as well. Some of those maneuvering tricks can be harder then parallel parking.

I got my drivers license when I was 18. When I took the test on the machine(BTW: this was a mechanical slide show machine, not a computer.), I flunk it 8 times and decided to take the written test and got a 100% on it (Go figure!). I failed the first driving test and pass the second.

I can't really tell you if asperger's had help or hindered my driving skills, but I have been driving for over 25 years and I never had a speeding ticket and have only been in 2 "not at fault" accidents. I can't speak for everybody but I can tell you that it is possible to be an aspie and have excellent driving skills. Driving has never been an issue for me.