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DarcyD

Updated 1y ago

Struggling with Driving: Anyone Else?

Does anyone else also have a lot of difficulty with driving?

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margaretscarry

2y

Yeah the specifics of my autism make driving not a possibility. I tried but it shouldnt be difficult you know pushing it wouldve been dangerous. Nothing wrong with it. Whether you adjust or not just put urself first. Hope ur well!
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Charmander.Char

2y

Yes, i have a history with multiple accidents and PTSD because of it
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DarcyD

2y

Thanks for sharing everybody! I took a drivers test 3x in my late teens early twenties and never passed, was really devastating each time. So I’ve been very discouraged from trying again. I think maybe it’s related to have low working memory and processing speed?
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margaretscarry

2y

oh yeah that was what did it for me. The processing was a no go and honestly my hand eye coordination is also so bad. Nothing wrong with it its just how we work.
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Proxy

2y

It took me awhile to get my license, partly because of having a crappy family car during my teens they wouldn't let me test in, partly because my anxiety.
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Prismatic

2y

For context, I'm 22, in a rural area, no driver's license. My main barrier to driving is PTSD/dissociation, but I also have significantly impaired hand-eye coordination and spatial skills so I misjudge distances between objects to the point that driving would be dangerous regardless
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DarcyD

2y

Hey there, thanks for sharing! I’m wondering have you ever gotten the hand eye coordination and spatial skills assessed? I have the same challenges and I’ve tried to understand it through the lens of my confirmed hypermobility and somewhat confirmed dyspraxia, or unconfirmed dyscalculia (math scores were way below everything else for me but not low enough for my assessors to give the DX). I wish there was an easy way to put a label around those issues. My visuospatial skills when it comes to patterns, design, some types of puzzle solving is high, but when I take that into navigating the 3D world its like a slap stick comedy of running into things, tripping, and getting lost.
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AnimalBoy

2y

I have really intense zone outs and dissociation as well as no attention span, severe car/driving anxiety, and suspected (not diagnosed, petite mal) epilepsy that makes me black out so it'd be incredibly dangerous. I struggled really hard with the anxiety of being a burden or disappointment because I cant get my license but at this point I've made my peace with it, it's just a fact of my life.
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DarcyD

2y

I hear you, it was very emotional and difficult for me to accept that I definitely can’t drive as safely as everyone else (if I can drive at all) without taking certain precautions and being very careful / getting training that accommodates what I need to learn how to drive. Realizing that I couldn’t just do something that’s considered so everyday normal and essential to life and gives you significantly more autonomy - it’s taken a lot of years to process and come to accept.
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offthebeatenpath

2y

I have some struggles with it and have had periods where driving isn't possible for me. Processing speed can be problematic when I'm in a very busy area, and I'm sure that would be very dangerous, so I avoid those situations. I have trouble judging spatially as well. My biggest issue is mapping and getting lost. I have to have a set path to get to and from wherever I'm going. Once I learn that path, I do OK, but any deviation completely throws me and it gets hard to drive. Too much to process at once. I rarely drive at night, and only when I know the route well. My husband (also on the spectrum) doesn't drive at all due to his autism.
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DarcyD

2y

Thanks for sharing! This sounds very similar to a lot of my challenges! Working memory and processing speed (especially visual scanning) is difficult for me, and I get lost easily / find it hard to follow map directions or develop the awareness of space/timing of the car and world around it (difficulty doing that with my own body too). I havent been able to get my license yet (even though I’m now in my late 20s) but I hope to one day be able to do what you do and drive with certain precautions/limitations to stay as safe as possible and make it manageable.
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Skelerang

2y

I don't have a problem with driving, but I zone out alot. I've never been in an accident that was my fault. My dissociation and autism takes form during interpersonal interactions. Also when I'm reading a book I sometimes will read several pages and not know what I read.
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DarcyD

2y

I definitely zone out plenty too - can relate to that happening often during conversations or reading a book etc. For me though, I know it’s also related to my ADHD
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Marine2456

2y

I haven’t driven a ton since the pandemic, but when I used to drive to highschool before sunrise, I would daydream/blank out. One time I start drifting into the right-hand curb. Thus, I do have some driving difficulties.

The content in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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