Search

Objective To characterize healthcare and behavioral service providers' transportation-related discussions with their autistic and non-autistic patients. Method 78 providers completed a cross-sectional survey assessing their transportation discussions with patients. We used Mann-Whitney U tests and chi-square tests to compare differences in provider reports by patient diagnosis. Results Compared with one in two providers who reported they discuss transportation with non-autistic patients, only one in five have these conversations with their autistic patients. Few (8%) providers felt prepared to assess driving readiness in autistic patients, yet only a quarter refer patients elsewhere. Conclusion There is a critical need to develop resources for use in medical settings to effectively support autistic adolescents' independence and mobility as they transition into adulthood., Author(s): Emma B. Sartin [sup.1] , Rachel K. Myers [sup.1] [sup.2] [sup.3] , Christina G. Labows [sup.1] , Kristina B. Metzger [sup.1] , Meghan E. Carey [sup.1] [sup.10] , Benjamin [...]

Introduction: Autistic individuals who independently travel-or commute without companionship or supervision-report feeling more connected to social, education, and employment opportunities. Despite the potential for independent transportation to improve quality of life, little is known about what transportation-related resources, specifically driving focused ones, exist for autistic individuals or how they and their families find and use them. The objectives of this study were to characterize: (1) where and how families in the United States find driving-related resources for their autistic adolescents; (2) families' perceived availability and utility of identified resources; and (3) resources families believe should be developed., Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 33 caregivers of autistic adolescents aged 16-24 years without an intellectual disability. We used a directed-content approach to develop and implement codes; three trained coders analyzed all transcripts (inter-rater reliability ≥0.8 for all codes). Members of the research team reviewed coded data and created code summaries, which were then developed and discussed by the larger research team to determine final consensus., Results: Caregivers described a few existing resources that were helpful in guiding driving-related decisions. In addition, caregivers voiced that there were limited resources tailored to the unique needs that arise while teaching or learning how to drive, particularly ones that support their own and their adolescent's mental health. The limited resources and services identified as helpful-specifically support groups/perspectives of other families and specialized driving instructors-are seemingly difficult to find, costly, and/or perceived as having geographic- and time-related barriers., Conclusion: There is a critical need and opportunity for stakeholders of the autism community to both expand access to existing and develop novel driving-related resources for families with autistic adolescents, with a particular focus of supporting caregiver and adolescent mental health., Competing Interests: No competing financial interests exist., (Copyright 2024, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.)