Advisory Committee Chair
Despina Stavrinos
Advisory Committee Members
Karlene K Ball
Sarah O'Kelley
Sarah Ryan
Scott Snyder
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2021
Degree Name by School
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are much less likely to obtain a driver’s license than their typically developing peers, which limits their social and economic opportunities. Existing research does not support the idea that licensed drivers with ASD are severely worse at driving, so the discrepancy in driving outcomes is likely related to the apprehensions held by people with ASD. In contrast, people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) engage in more risky driving behaviors than drivers without ADHD, and they often have inflated beliefs about their driving abilities. Thus, the way that individuals’ personal capabilities (e.g., speed of processing) impact their views about driving risks (e.g., eagerness, apprehensions, avoidance) is likely to differ based on a diagnosis of ASD or ADHD. Data were gathered from drivers with ASD (n = 30), drivers with ADHD (n = 36), and typically developing drivers (n = 35) to examine how each diagnosis interacts with speed of processing to influence positive driving attitudes, negative driving attitudes, and driving avoidance. Drivers with ASD were found to report more negative driving attitudes and more driving avoidance than the other groups. Additionally, slower speed of processing was associated with more driving avoidance among typically developing drivers, but that association was not significant among drivers with ASD or ADHD. Findings indicated that drivers with ADHD and relatively slow speed of processing may not avoid driving in hazardous conditions to the same extent as their typically developing iv peers. The present findings also demonstrated that people with ASD were generally more apprehensive about driving compared to their peers without ASD, even after licensure. Apprehension about driving likely affects driving competence, so interventions that aim to promote transportation independence among people with ASD should take into account those apprehensions. The ability to drive promotes independence and community involvement, and further research is needed to understand how to maximize safe, competent driving among people with ASD and ADHD.
Recommended Citation
Wagner, William P., "Driving Attitudes and Avoidance of Drivers with ASD or ADHD" (2021). All ETDs from UAB. 559.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/559