For the past 30 years, the Virginia Driver Safety Laboratory has conducted research exploring the role of certain health conditions on driving abilities through the use of comprehensive driving assessments. Researchers have now produced an interactive driving simulator that focuses on assisting in skill improvement for patients with autism.
Alongside the University of Iowa and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, Daniel Cox, professor of psychiatric and internal medicine, has researched how cognitive motor perceptual skills affect patients with autism.
The driving simulator has the ability to identify potential challenges faced by patients with autism. It can also train users in driving skills, such as rapidly shifting speeds by steering and braking to avoid road hazards.
“They might just focus on the road right in front of them,” Cox said. “And that’s what we are able to diagnose for that one particular person. Then, we can train them to scan their eyes and to process all information coming from all directions.”
Identifying unique and personal challenges — with consistent training from the simulator — help patients learn how to overcome setbacks on the road.
Learning how to operate the driving simulator requires specific training. Cox said it is the same type of practice that is required to play an instrument or a sport.
“You get the basic skills down on the simulator,” Cox said. “And then you have to take it out to the real world.”
While participants of this study are individuals that have already been approved to acquire a driver’s license, many are hesitant about driving a real car in the real world.
“What they quickly learn is that it’s safe,” Cox said. “It’s okay to make a mistake … They enjoy driving the simulator, as opposed to starting to drive a real wheel.”
Through the simulator, the Virginia Driver Safety Laboratory has shown driving-based apprehension can be reduced.
According to the University Pediatric Health Library website, children with autism spectrum disorder commonly tend to abstain from social interactions and communication with others.
“Depending on severity, many adolescents with autism don't need to deal with it all. They are perfectly happy with who they are. For others, problems being successful socially are a constant problem,” Prof. of Clinical Pediatrics Kenneth Norwood said. “They want to make friends but they don't know how to do it. Social skills training can be helpful. I also strongly push involvement in extracurricular activities to promote opportunities for socialization.”
For teenagers with autism that may lack social skills, the driving simulator grants them the opportunity to practice skills that can affect other aspects of their lives.
“Anything that can be done to help the autistic teenager be more successful at the things that other teenagers do will improve socialization and mood,” Norwood said. “Learning how to drive is a fundamental rite of passage that is an important part of transitioning to adulthood … The use of a simulator will help adolescents with autism to master the skills necessary for safe driving.”
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