This will be more of a reflective piece on driving and mental health that I was originally going to publish on my old Driving with Autism website but never could be due to bad timing and job changes last year. My piece here covers only my perspective and does not reflect any autistic individual’s journey.  Driving can have various challenges, and I truly believe that if you aren’t safe driving a car, you must do what is best for you. Anyway, I see driving as something that benefits my mental health.  Ever since obtaining my license back in 2018, it has opened several doors for me to grow as a person. I experienced both pleasant and unpleasant moments and despite the unpleasant moments, I would not change a lot. It was growth I had to experience to shape my current self. With that said, here are three reasons why driving benefited my mental health.  

Work Fulfillment: 
Having a license not only boosted my confidence but also opened several doors towards employment. I have less barriers to worry about as with my professional life working in the autism field, a license was a must to own. Even now, it keeps helping me as I drive to nearby states to attend conferences and workshops for my public speaking. I originally did outreach for Driving with Autism, and it was a fun time talking to families. Currently, I drive students to the community through my job at FOCUS Center for Autism thanks to the CT Public Passenger Endorsement. I never realized how fulfilling it is and I ended up taking over the general driving over there. While I am focusing more on special education nowadays, I am still thankful of my driving advocacy for making it all possible.  
Investing into my side hustle, "Andrew Arboe: Autistic Self-Advocate and Speaker” brand has led me to travel into numerous states in the east coast like New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts. This brand investment is tied into my explorer play style in which, I want to explore and see new things. I keep discovering cool sights and places in my travel and it inspires me to go the extra mile to display my mission of collaboration with providers. Nothing like listening to video gaming podcasts, while seeing sights of mountain tops and landmarks.  

Social Engagement: 
My license also improved my social life and access to more social events. Due to driving, I discovered my fondness for coffeehouses, and I would like to have not only my main place to go, but also to have the willingness to try outside coffeehouses. I love coffee and each time I try out a new spot, I feel fulfilled. I am also fond of video game arcade places, and I try to have a monthly visit. It is nothing like playing old classics like Galaga and Bust-A-Move for a Saturday afternoon. Even better is doing a road trip to an arcade, which I did on Good Friday. I drove four hours to Funspot, an arcade fun center in New Hampshire and four other hours out of the state. Same thing with other events like I went to a double feature of the b-movie, The Room to meet with actor Greg Sestero at Worcester, Massachusetts. It was not every day to experience that, and it boosted my confidence to tackle more of Massachusetts events. I developed a desire to keep exploring New England and advance my driving to new heights. One of my next trips I would love to do is visiting the American Dream in New Jersey and Edward D. Wood Jr’s home in Poughkeepsie, New York.  

Driving as a Challenge: 
Building from what I established from the social engagement section, I used each social event and places as ways to challenge myself. I know that through my professional life, I must keep moving forward to make new connections. The more states I am familiar with driving wise, the more self-confidence I can build. It gives me genuine hope that all that I do can make a difference in this vast world. Through challenging myself and completing them, I can heal from the COVID years and move on from that era for both better and worse. Now it has been about 6 years of driving, and I am off to do great things!  ​

All in all, driving has always been on my side. Aided me in all my pursuits and getting me through the hard years of being stuck because of COVID. There were moments where I got stuck and struggled through a dead-end in my work. Thankfully, I got this and many friends and family that got me out of it and I redirected my life to what it is today. It almost affected my mental health, but I took it back and made it into a future I know I control for sure. With this website as proof of this determination, this is how my mental health was changed for the better because of my driving.  

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Courses:

Learning to Drive with Autism: Autism Speaks

I co-developed this free course with Autism Speaks. It is based on my previous work as a driving consultant/owner of Driving With Autism, this free course covers the basics of driver's education, the steps to get a driver's license and some strategies for dealing with common driving issues for autistic people. Included are video testimonials from me and other autistic adults who took our time getting a license and have discovered how it opened doors to new social and job opportunities. You can find it here along with state guides that cover how old you have to be to get a license, car insurance requirements and opportunities to identify as autistic on a driver’s license.


Apps:

Drive Focus
Available on Google Play, Apple Store, and Amazon Appstore, this app offers a simulated environment where the user can practice their driving skills. The app offers various environments and situation in which the users can learn about driving in their own pace. Everything from road signs, traffic signs and laws are covered in this app. Countries like the states, Canada and even Australia are covered in the environments. 

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These are books that addresses this topic of autism and driving. These books are very rare to see in the autism book world, so this list is probably shorter than most of my other pages. Nevertheless, these are the books that you can find online right now. If there is any book I am missing here, comment below or message me. Thank you for reading this and have a wonderful day!

Main Books on Driving

Driven By Passion: On the Road with Special Needs (Desire2Drive)

This is by a self-advocate who is not only in the United Kingdom, but a licensed instructor. 


The Road to Greater Independence for the Neurodiverse: Learn-to-Drive Strategies for ASD, ADHD, Learning Challenged & other Neurodiverse Students

Developed locally in Connecticut and by Ronald Parrs who is an active driver rehab specialist and instructor in the same state. This is probably the most in-depth book I have seen on this topic as Ronald goes over all of his experiences and break several concepts like executive functioning down. This is recommended to parents and individuals who want to learn various strategies.


Other Books of Interest

The #ActuallyAutistic Guide to Building Independence

Written by autistic advocate, Jennifer Brunton
The book has a section on driving and other transportation alternatives. It covers some pages, which is nice to see and appreciated in displaying it as something it is up to the individual to engage or not. The handbook also covers other useful topics, so it is a good read in general.   


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A new addition for my database is the inclusion of research studies for those who want to get an in-depth look on how research is being conducted for this topic. I try to select research that can be accessed without paying as possible. Be aware that some are going to be required to pay in order to access it. Nevertheless, it still gives you an idea of what is going on in terms of current research. If I missed any studies, comment below or message me it so I can add it here. 

List of Research Studies:
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Outcomes from a Driving and Community Mobility Intervention Designed for Novice Drivers with Autism from the Perspective of the Participants and Their Parents | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

Exploring the Intersection of Autism, Theory of Mind, and Driving Performance in Novice Drivers | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

​Preparing to “Live a Life of Possibilities”: Experiences of Healthcare Providers Readying Autistic Adolescents and Their Families for Independent Driving | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (springer.com)

Developing a Driving Simulator Protocol to Build the Driving Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities of Novice Drivers With Autism Spectrum Disorder | The American Journal of Occupational Therapy | American Occupational Therapy Association (aota.org)

Effectiveness of a Driving and Community Mobility Intervention for Teens and Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder | The American Journal of Occupational Therapy | American Occupational Therapy Association (aota.org)
Neurodevelopmental Differences and Driving Research | CIRP (chop.edu)

Risky driving behavior among individuals with Autism, ADHD, and typically developing persons - ScienceDirect

Letter to the Editor: Supporting Drivers with Autism and Police Officer Interactions-Connecticut’s Blue Envelope Program | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (springer.com)

Driving Performance of Experienced Young Adult Drivers with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder While Listening to Music on Two Scenarios: Hazards versus Wayfinding: Occupational Therapy In Health Care: Vol 38 , No 1 - Get Access (tandfonline.com)

Detour to the Right Place: A Study with Recommendations for Addressing the Transportation Needs and Barriers of Adults on the Autism Spectrum in New Jersey 
detour_to_the_right_place_technical_report_2015.pdf (rutgers.edu) 
 
Longitudinal study of driver licensing rates among adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder - Allison E Curry, Benjamin E Yerys, Patty Huang, Kristi B Metzger, 2018 (sagepub.com)

Caregivers' Perspectives on Use of and Need for Driving Resources for Their Autistic Adolescent | Autism in Adulthood (liebertpub.com) 

Independent Community Mobility and Driving Experiences of Adults on the Autism Spectrum: A Scoping Review | The American Journal of Occupational Therapy | American Occupational Therapy Association (aota.org) 

Teaching Autistic Adolescents and Young Adults to Drive: Perspectives of Specialized Driving Instructors - PMC (nih.gov) 

Comparison of Motor Vehicle Crashes, Traffic Violations, and License Suspensions Between Autistic and Non-autistic Adolescent and Young Adult Drivers - PMC (nih.gov) 

Scoping Review of the Driving Behaviour of and Driver Training Programs for People on the Autism Spectrum - PMC (nih.gov) 

Asperger's syndrome: the implications for driver training methods and road safety. Journal of the Australasian College of Road Safety 
ACRS-Journal-Vol24_No1-Feb13_web.pdf 

A Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Driving for Autistic Teens and Adults: A Pilot Study | Autism in Adulthood (liebertpub.com) 

Transportation Use and Barriers for Employed and Unemployed Autistic Adults | Autism in Adulthood (liebertpub.com) 

Developing community mobility and driving with youth on the autism spectrum: A psychosocial perspective - PubMed (nih.gov)

Frontiers | Perceived Driving Difficulty, Negative Affect, and Emotion Dysregulation in Self-Identified Autistic Emerging Drivers (frontiersin.org)
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Comparison of Motor Vehicle Crashes, Traffic Violations, and License Suspensions Between Autistic and Non-Autistic Adolescent and Young Adult Drivers - Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (jaacap.org)

Systematic review of factors affecting driving and motor vehicle transportation among people with autism spectrum disorder: Disability and Rehabilitation: Vol 39 , No 9 - Get Access (tandfonline.com)

Measuring the attitudes of novice drivers with autism spectrum disorder as an indication of apprehensive driving: Going beyond basic abilities - Veerle Ross, Daniel J Cox, Ron Reeve, Timothy Brown, Matthew Moncrief, Rose Schmitt, Gary Gaffney, 2018 (sagepub.com)

Driving Behaviors in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (springer.com)

Driving Simulator Performance in Novice Drivers with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Executive Functions and Basic Motor Skills | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (springer.com)

A Pilot Study Comparing Newly Licensed Drivers With and Without Autism and Experienced Drivers in Simulated and On-Road Driving | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (springer.com)

Viewpoints on driving of individuals with and without autism spectrum disorder: Developmental Neurorehabilitation: Vol 18 , No 1 - Get Access (tandfonline.com)

​Developing community mobility and driving with youth on the autism spectrum: A psychosocial perspective: Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy: Vol 28 , No 2 - Get Access

Dimensions of Self-Reported Driving Difficulty in Autistic and Non-Autistic Adults and their Relationship with Autistic Traits | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

Brief Report: Healthcare Providers’ Discussions Regarding Transportation and Driving with Autistic and Non-autistic Patients | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders



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Another year in this wild decade and this I could say with confidence that this was my best year in a while. This was where I not only established this website and my public speaking services, but I was able to get back into working at a special education school. After dealing with personal losses during the COVID years, this was the year of me rebounding and getting back what I love to do, which is collaborating with professionals and working with transition aged students. There were so many experiences that shaped the current me, like my keynote presentation with Autism Connections back in April or my presentation with Autism New Jersey at Atlantic City. Not to mention, spending time with my lovely job at FOCUS Center for Autism where I am a teacher’s assistant. While there were a bunch of positives, there were a few negatives during the year like some family health struggles during the summertime and me processing my COVID losses during the first half of the year. However, those experiences are only temporary, and I managed to grow as a result. For today’s blog, I am listing several goals I want to do for 2024 professionally and personally.  
 
Graduate from Charter Oak State College 
As mentioned on my professional history page, I am attending Charter Oak to obtain my bachelor's degree in psychology. I felt psychology would be a good fit for me with my jack of all trade style of professional history. I only have six courses left before I officially graduate from college. Two courses each for the spring, summer and fall semester. I need that degree to be at the next stage of my life and embrace it. 


Presenting in Pennsylvania 
I presented in the east coast, mostly at New English states. I realized during the month of December that I never presented in Pennsylvania. I find Pennsylvania to be another state where it is active with the autism scene with many organizations existing like Neurodiversity in the Workplace and Neurodiversity Employment Network. One of my employers, Children Hosptial of Philadelphia is present over there too. It is a no brainer for me to reach out over there to present.  


Touring more nonprofits and schools in the east coast 
On my days off, I love touring nonprofits and schools that I don’t have a lot of knowledge about. It is for this reason that I toured places like Golisano Autism Center/AutismUp and Northeast Arc during this year. I love learning about places that can provide local and state impact to individuals and families. If I am able to present for their communities and collaborate in any projects, it makes me feel good to be part of that impact. I do have some tours scheduled for 2024, but I will not be telling you until those tours do happen. Stay tuned! 


Attending a video game convention 
Yes, a non-work goal as I usually would attend these in Connecticut. I never got a chance to attend one this year. I want to change for 2024 as I always love a good convention like RetroWorld in my state where it is always a good time. Not only to meet with local friends of mine but to play some classic video games for a day.  
Have a safe weekend and very Happy New Years! 
 
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Full time employment is not something that is usually discussed in autism circles about employment. When I was initially part time, I had no idea how it looked at. All I knew was that I needed it to make a living and it allowed others to pay for larger quality of life investments like living arrangements or getting a loan for a used car.  During the COVID pandemic, I started full time for the first time because of a collaboration between a neurodiversity focused firm and a driving school. My public speaking took off on learning how to drive and the position, autism transition coordinator came to birth. Said position changed over time and I was full time for about two years before I was laid off. Looking back at those years, there was full of bright and bumpy moments. Lessons learned on managing the changed times and relationships between me and others in my workplace. That is why today I am going over some tips to consider for your future full-time job. 
 
Communication Standards: 
It is important to establish communication standards with you and others in the workplace. If the workplace allows it, talk to your employer on what could work and experiment. Come up with a schedule and after a week, check in with your employer to see if it works. If not, keep coming up with ideas. Keep in mind that rescheduling can happen, so it is important to have back up plans. Be careful of boundaries, which I will go over pretty soon.  
 
Customizing your workspace: 
If you work in an office setting, ask if you are to customize the space. Due to being there for most of the day, it does not hurt to make the space more familiar to you. In the space I used to have, I had various items that related to my special interests. I had two video game posters that showed my fondness for the NieR series. I had a big plush from the same series on its own chair and it is mostly there for sensory reasons. These items never distracted me, and I was able to do the work I needed to do. Make sure the items you can bring are realistic and not something that could add problems for the workplace. 
 
Establishing boundaries: 
 It is important to set up boundaries with how to approach work emails in general. It also depends on the individual where some do not mind, but others do mind. I used to be okay with weekend emails until the moments I get overwhelmed at select times. Overtime and near the end of my time there, it became a trigger. Another point for boundaries is if you have access to your workplace on the weekend, do not get into the habit of going there, even if it is to relax! I am guilty of visiting my office too much and it created a long-term issue where I had some people think I don’t care for family. It never came off that way, but I did know that I could have done some computer work at home. It is why I don’t recommend people to use their office space for the weekend because of these reasons.  
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Watch yourself with budgeting: 
Temptations can increase the moment one has more income to use. What I mean is that it is super easy to overspend and get overcarried with the income. I had trouble in this area during the 2021-2022 years where due to some personal matters, I was going a bit over the top with some video game purchases. I started to realize that I was going a bit much and started cutting down on spending in areas like eating out and gaming. It takes a lot of trial and error to see what works or not. You cannot plan for everything, but you can create standards for yourself.  


Knowing when to let go when workplace gets out of control: 

Sometimes, you can do everything for your workplace, and it is the best feeling. It is meant to be experienced once you do feel it in your blood. However, like many things, it does not last forever. The starting point can look different for these stages, but it may start with a breaking point that strips you of the fondness you had for a job. The next stage is where the workplace starts mentally draining. The good vibes slowly fade away as one tries to hide the feeling that something is wrong. You keep trying to do everything you can, but it doesn’t get rid of the feeling. Emotions like nervousness, fear and sadness start leaking and it feels like you are by yourself sinking deep in the ocean.  Finally, you start piecing the puzzle and realize something is wrong and once you figure it out, it is too late. At the end, you are given a choice of leaving the company or you continue the work in some form. Many emotions are felt, and one may experience a crisis mode.  

If this is something you are experiencing, I urge you to move on! Quit and find the true job path you are looking for. It will get better, and I know from experience. The moment you try pretending it is the same workplace becomes an endless eternity that negatively affects your mental state. It's that moment where the place you knew is long gone. There are workplaces that value your skills in this vast world. To see if something is doable or winnable, you have to try.  
 
All in all, full time employment can have complications and at times, it can make or break a person. What is important to know is that any experience, good and bad, has meaning. Even if you have a bad experience, you have the means to search for something better. It will take time, but it is out there. Take in the lessons, know what works for you and that is where you will shine the most.  


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I am quite pleased to see more resources in Illinois compared to states I recently researched for this blog project. Top Driver looks interesting, and the non-school programs look just as fine. As always, comment below or message me if you have any resources to share. Thank you for using this resource and have a wonderful day!  

*August 17th, 2023, Update: New program added. *

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Driving Schools: 

 

Top Driver 

This driving school has an active ADHD and executive functioning program for those populations. Their specialized program has an individualized plan, 18-hour road lessons and a "parent care" pre license training course. This program was created through a collaboration with Behind the Wheel with ADHD.  


Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital
They offer driver education for individuals with disabilities over at Wheaton, Illinois. They provide evaluation and an education program for new drivers. Referral from a physician and being age 15 is recommended for being in this program. 



Non-Driving Schools: 

NorthShore 

Their driving program evaluates individuals with physical and mental disabilities in their ability to drive. The two components within this program are a clinical evaluation and a behind the wheel evaluation. They use information from medical and social history to make a recommendation. 


Strive For Independence 

Staffed by experienced OTs with driver rehab backgrounds, they provide driver readiness evaluations, full evaluations, and behind the wheel lessons. On their home page, autism along with other disabilities are mentioned as populations they work with. Like Connecticut’s traffic stop practice, Strive for Independence offers a two-hour course where drivers get to experience traffic stops in a controlled environment.  


Easterseals Rehabilitation Center Illinois 

Hosted by the Easterseals Rehabilitation Center's Assistive Technology Solutions, they provide driver rehab services for individuals. They do clinical assessments and evaluation along with driver training to help individuals be at ease with driving. There is no word on pricing, so you would have to contact them to obtain that information.  
 

 

Initiatives:  

Disability identification Card 

No word if this is optional or not, so it is up to you to decide with this choice. 

Another one of those states where you must do self-research on finding the right regular driving school for your needs. At least, there was one I could find, which is near the Missouri state. As always, comment below or message me if you have any resources to share. Thank you for using this resource and have a wonderful day!    


Driving Schools: 

N/A as of June 30th, 2023.  

 


Non-Driving Schools: 

Ability KC  

This organization has been going since 1978 helping adults drive behind the wheel. Their therapists are specialized in doing driving assessments and training of various disabilities like autism, ADHD, and other conditions. Evaluations include driver's safety and control, use of adaptive equipment, and clinical testing.  

Another one of those states where you must do self-research on finding the right regular driving school for your needs. As always, comment below or message me if you have any resources to share. Thank you for using this resource and have a wonderful day!  

 

Driving Schools: 

N/A as of June 30th, 2023.  

 


 

Non-Driving Schools: 

Drive Rehab Hawaii 

Services include driver education, training, evaluation, consultation, and on-road assessments. Evaluations cover physical, cognitive, visual, perceptual, and behavioral skills of individuals. It is worth noting that Sandra Wataoka is one of the very few driver rehab specialists in Hawaii. As of 5/27/2023, this provider is not accepting clients for now.  

Just like Wyoming, I could not find a single resource on driving in Alaska. The only difference is that Alaska has an ID program that young adults can do if they want to. As always, comment below or message me if you have any resources to share. Thank you for using this resource and have a wonderful day!  

 


Driving Schools: 

N/A 

 
 

Non-Driving Schools: 

N/A 


 

Initiatives: 

Disability designator on ID card 

It alerts law officers to the individual's disability during a situation. It is also voluntary.