Abstract
Driving is central to adult independence and autonomy; yet most autistic young adults do not acquire driver’s licenses. It is important to understand barriers to achieving this milestone for autistic adults. Differences in negative affect and emotion dysregulation associated with autism may interfere with managing difficult driving situations. The current study compared perceived driving difficulty (DD), emotion dysregulation, and negative affect in emerging drivers with and without autistic traits (AT), and investigated how emotion dysregulation and negative affect relate to perceived DD. We expected (1) greater perceived DD, emotion dysregulation, and negative affect in participants with AT and (2) a positive correlation of perceived DD with both emotion dysregulation and negative affect in the whole sample. Thirty-seven adolescents and young adults (15 AT) self-reported perceived DD in 15 scenarios and completed the Difficulty in Emotion Dysregulation Scale (DERS) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS). Autistic participants scored significantly higher on mean perceived DD, DERS Impulse subscale, DASS total and DASS Stress subscale scores. Perceived DD positively correlated with the DERS and DASS total scores, all DASS subscales, and DERS Nonacceptance, Goals, and Impulse subscales across the whole sample. The findings highlight the roles of emotion dysregulation and negative affect in perceived DD in emerging drivers with AT. In particular, emotional stress and impulsivity may map onto mechanisms of over-reactivity to negative affect and explain why autistic people perceive particular situations as difficult when driving. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Highlights
The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (2017) outlined strategic research targets for the transition to adult services and continued lifespan support
Difficulty inhibiting strong negative emotions like anxiety or anger predicted risky driving behaviors (Ulleberg and Rundmo, 2003; Oltedal and Rundmo, 2006; Hayley et al, 2017). These results suggest that negative affect and emotion dysregulation may contribute to driving difficulty (DD), these studies have not been conducted in autistic samples so it is unknown how these factors are impacted in autism
The current study examined the relationship of negative affect and emotion dysregulation with perceived DD in autistic traits (AT) and NA participants who are interested in driving
Summary
The Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (2017) outlined strategic research targets for the transition to adult services and continued lifespan support. For example, has been shown to increase employment, educational, and social opportunities for autistic adults (Feeley, 2010; Daly et al, 2014; Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, 2017; Curry et al, 2018; Myers et al, 2019). Autistic adolescents are more likely to be enrolled in post-secondary education or employed if they have their driver’s license and are more likely to obtain licensure if their individualized education plans include driving-related goals (Huang et al, 2012). Vocational activities are supported by obtaining a driver’s license and can help autistic individuals achieve better overall outcomes
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