Longitudinal study of driver licensing rates among adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder.
Allison E Curry, Benjamin E Yerys, Patty Huang and 1 others
PMID 28374599WHAT IT FOUND
Within one year of permit eligibility, 17.1% of adolescents with autism without intellectual disability got a learner's permit, compared with 62.4% of adolescents without autism.
Among those with a permit, 81.9% with autism got an intermediate license within 12 months of eligibility.
Key findings
01Within one year of becoming age-eligible for a permit, 17.1% of individuals with ASD acquired a learner's permit, compared with 62.4% of individuals without ASD.
02By age 21, 38.3% of individuals with ASD had acquired a learner's permit, 34.4% an intermediate license, and 22.8% an unrestricted license.
03Among permit holders who became fully eligible for an intermediate license, 81.9% with ASD and 94.1% without ASD obtained one within 12 months; by 24 months, 89.7% with ASD and 97.7% without ASD obtained one.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
ASD status came from electronic health record diagnosis codes, and some people may have been misclassified, although hand review confirmed ASD for most cases and a confirmed-ASD analysis gave similar intermediate license rates. Some people counted as unlicensed may have moved to another state and obtained a license there, which could lower the reported rates for both groups. The study used New Jersey's Graduated Driver Licensing system, which has a higher minimum intermediate license age and different rules than many states, so ages and progression may not apply elsewhere. The cohort came from one hospital network and required continued New Jersey residency, so it may not represent all adolescents with autism. The study reports rates, not why rates were lower. It cannot say whether lack of teen interest, parental decision, lack of support, or driving ability explained the difference. It did not report driving skill, crash risk, or safety outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The article is marked as NIH extramural and non-U.S. government supported; no sponsor role is reported.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the lower licensing rates as proof that adolescents with autism without intellectual disability cannot drive or should not drive. The study reports permit and license acquisition, not driving skill, crash risk, or who should be licensed.