Factors associated with driving in teens with autism spectrum disorders

Traduction: G.M.

J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2012 Jan;33(1):70-4. doi: 10.1097/DBP.0b013e31823a43b7.

Facteurs associés à la conduite chez les adolescents avec des troubles du spectre autistique

Huang P¹, Kao T, Curry AE, Durbin DR.

Author information

• ¹Division of Child Development and Metabolism, Center for Injury Research and Prevention, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3550 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. huangp@email.chop.edu

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To compare the characteristics of driving and nondriving teens and explore the driving outcomes for teens with higher functioning autism spectrum disorders.
Pour comparer les caractéristiques de la conduite et les adolescents nondriving et explorer les résultats de conduite pour les adolescents atteints de troubles du spectre autistique de fonctionnement plus élevé

METHODS:

Parents of teens aged 15 to 18 years with a parent-reported diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder enrolled in Interactive Autism Network, an online research registry, were eligible for this cross-sectional study. An online survey was used for data collection.

RESULTS:

A total of 297 parents completed the survey. Sixty-three percent of teens currently drive or plan to drive. Twenty-nine percent of the teens who are age-eligible to drive currently drive. Compared with age-eligible but nondriving teens, a greater proportion of driving teens were in full-time regular education (p < .005), planned to attend college (p < .001), and held a paid job (p = .008). A greater proportion of parents of driving teens had taught ≥1 teen to drive previously (p < .001). There were no differences in gender, autism subtype, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis, parental age or education, or access to public transportation. Driving predictors included individualized education plans with driving goals, indicators of functional status (classroom placement, college aspiration, and job experience), and parent experience with teaching teens to drive. Twelve percent of teens received driving citations, and 12% of teens had been involved in a motor vehicle crash.

CONCLUSIONS:

Although a significant proportion of teens with higher functioning autism spectrum disorders were driving or learning to drive, the fact that most driving teens' individualized education plans did not include driving goals suggests an area of opportunity for improvement in transition planning. Driving teens were more frequently in regular education settings with college aspirations, which could help schools identify potential drivers.
Bien qu'une proportion importante des adolescents avec des troubles du spectre à haut niveau de fonctionnement cognitif conduise ou apprenne à conduire, le fait que la plupart des plans de formation individualisés pour la conduite n'incluent pas d'objectifs de conduite automobile suggère un panel d'opportunités pour l'amélioration du planning de transition. Les adolescents conducteurs étaient plus fréquents dans le cadre de l'éducation ordinaire qui poursuivent leurs études, ce qui pourrait aider les écoles à identifier les conducteurs potentiels. 

PMID: 22157351