Date Presented 04/04/2025
The lived experiences of young adults with autism during a driving and community mobility bootcamp, as described by their parents, identified themes of emerging self-assurance, building a sense of belonging, and experiencing success.
Primary Author and Speaker: Lynne Murphy
Additional Authors and Speakers: Anne E. Dickerson
Contributing Authors: Mary McIntyre
Driving and community mobility (DCM) facilitates engagement in many valued occupations in the community. However, autistic individuals earn their driver’s license at a significantly lower rate than their typical peers (Curry et al., 2018). One DCM program has demonstrated significant improvement in driving performance of autistic youth (Dickerson, et al., 2024). Therefore, this study was undertaken to explore the impact of these interventions.
PURPOSE: This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of autistic youth who participated in a DCM bootcamp, as perceived by their parents, who were able to provide extensive insights.
DESIGN AND METHOD: Phenomenological analysis of parent responses (n=71) to open-ended questions included 3 rounds of coding. Trustiworthiness of data was ensured through peer debriefing and member checking.
RESULTS: Themes of 1) Emerging self-assurance, 2) Building a sense of belonging, and 3) Experiencing success were discerned. Emerging self-assurance explored dramatic improvements in confidence and a sense of achievement experienced by participants. Opportunities for learning in a safe environment fostered belief in self and pride in newly claimed knowledge beyond driving skills. Building a sense of belonging described the importance of connections to others, feelings of value in friendships, and elevated social participation. Finally, experiencing success illustrated the impact that small victories have on life skills. Not all participants will be driving, but many boosted self-advocacy and motivation to set new, valuable goals.
CONCLUSION: Autistic youth experienced meaningful change as a results of a DCM bootcamp, with deeper interviews planned for future participants.
IMPACT STATEMENT: This qualitive exploration of the lived experiences of youth with autism who seek DCM skills offers opportunities to develop innovative OT services that meet the IADL needs and goals of autistic individuals.
References
Dickerson, A. E., Turbeville, L., & Wu, Q. (2024). Effectiveness of a driving and community mobility intervention for teens and young adults with autism spectrum disorder. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 78(1), 7801205110. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2024.050371
Curry, A. E., Yerys, B. E., Huang, P., & Metzger, K. B. (2018). Longitudinal study of driver licensing rates among adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder. Autism, 22, 479–488. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361317699586
Savin-Baden, M., & Major, C.H. (2013). Qualitative research: The essential guide to theory and practice. Routledge.
