From d531d0dc6eeed32bd88754f6b09d4d3ecabaa8fe08c38572f122ef16b5cf4dc6 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Nicholas Johnson Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2023 00:00:00 +0000 Subject: Convert refs: challenges-driving-with-autism --- content/entry/challenges-driving-with-autism.md | 7 +------ 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 6 deletions(-) diff --git a/content/entry/challenges-driving-with-autism.md b/content/entry/challenges-driving-with-autism.md index c758abc..b6bce82 100644 --- a/content/entry/challenges-driving-with-autism.md +++ b/content/entry/challenges-driving-with-autism.md @@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ title: "Challenges Driving With Autism" date: 2022-10-25T00:00:00 draft: false -makerefs: false --- Driving with autism is challenging sometimes. I'd like to share some of the difficulties I've faced driving as a person with high-functioning autism. Remember that I'm just one person with autism. Autistic brains are more different from each other than neurotypical brains, so the experiences I'm sharing here only reflect my life, not that of every autistic person. @@ -25,7 +24,7 @@ There's not much guesswork involved. Most other drivers follow the rules of the However, what I just said about there being explicit rules everybody follows sort of breaks down under certain circumstances. I've found that driving in poorer countries is much more challenging due to the lack of road signs, stoplights, visible lanes, etcetera informing me of what to do. But even neurotypical drivers struggle with this, so I don't think it's merely an autism thing. ## Sleep Deprivation -So how does autism actually hinder my driving? In two words, sleep deprivation. I've mentioned my chronic sleeping problems in my previous entry "Coming Out as Autistic"[1]. Sleep problems are very common in autistic people. I suspect there are a multitude of reasons for that, but that's beyond the scope of this entry. +So how does autism actually hinder my driving? In two words, sleep deprivation. I've mentioned my chronic sleeping problems in my previous entry "[Coming Out as Autistic](/2022/05/16/coming-out-as-autistic/)". Sleep problems are very common in autistic people. I suspect there are a multitude of reasons for that, but that's beyond the scope of this entry. No matter who you are, sleep deprivation will worsen your driving. It slows your reaction time, makes you less aware, and puts you at risk of falling asleep at the wheel. As an autistic person, I feel that I am between a rock and a hard place sometimes with sleep. @@ -53,7 +52,3 @@ Even though I'm only one autistic person and all of our challenges are unique, t I want to wrap up this entry by reminding everyone that autistic people can be good drivers. I am autistic, I've been driving for over five years in all sorts of places, and I've never even had an accident. It might take an autistic person a day to master a skill that neurotypicals learn in under an hour, but we can learn. It's just a matter of having instructors with enough **patience** to keep trying instead of becoming flustered and blaming us for not meeting their expectations. That's my two cents, based in personal experience. - - -Links: -[1: Coming Out as Autistic](/2022/05/16/coming-out-as-autistic/) -- cgit v1.2.3