None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) face social and cognitive difficulties that affect their ability to establish relationships, maintain employment and participate in community activities. Difficulties in community mobility act as barriers to their social inclusion. Driving is often difficult for people with ASD, as it requires the individual to make quick decisions and solve problems in response to road conditions and unpredictable traffic. There is currently a lack of understanding on how learner drivers with ASD read and respond to traffic and hazards on the road. The problem is further confounded as there are currently no established standards in Australia for assessing driving behaviours. The aim of the proposed research is to address community mobility challenges experienced by young adults with ASD by designing, pilot testing and evaluating the feasibility, appropriateness and effectiveness of an ASD-specific driver training package in supporting learner drivers with ASD to obtain a driver’s license and maintain on-road safety. The driving project will involve four studies. The Randomised-Controlled Trial study is the last study of this project with the aim to test the effectiveness and appropriateness of the ASD-specific driver training package: - Reducing the number of attempts learner drivers with ASD take to successfully obtain a provisional licence. - Reducing the number of face-to-face practice training sessions learner drivers with ASD require before obtaining a driver’s licence. - Improving driving behaviour, hazard perception skills and attitude to risk taking of learner drivers with ASD. - Improving learner drivers’ reflection on their driving.
Interventions
The intervention is the ASD-specific driver training package which includes face to face training, online training and on-road driving training. The intervention will be delivered by two driving instructors (WA and NSW) who will be trained by the project team. Parents in the intervention group will also be trained in the use of the ASD-specific training package prior to the commencement of the intervention.
This RCT study is the final stage of a big project. It is a three and a half year proje
The intervention is the ASD-specific driver training package which includes face to face training, online training and on-road driving training. The intervention will be delivered by two driving instructors (WA and NSW) who will be trained by the project team. Parents in the intervention group will also be trained in the use of the ASD-specific training package prior to the commencement of the intervention. This RCT study is the final stage of a big project. It is a three and a half year project. Contents for each proposed component are built from initial studies which involve literature review, focus group interviews and observation studies as follows: Study 1: Scoping the literature and obtaining end-user and expert opinion: - Summarise current knowledge on the driving behaviours of learner drivers with ASD. - Identify and evaluate international and local resources that address the driving needs of people with ASD. - Understand end-user and stakeholder perspectives on the difficulties learner drivers with ASD encounter while learning to drive; the driving behaviours they exhibit; and the strategies they use to support safe driving behaviours. Study 2: Assess off- and on-road driving behaviours of learner drivers with ASD. Study 3: Develop and pilot test the feasibility and appropriateness of a driver training package containing ASD-specific on- and off-road training sessions in supporting learner drivers with ASD to obtain a driver’s licence and maintain on-road safety. The findings from these studies will be used to design and finalise the contents of the proposed components of the ASD-specific driver training package. We are currently conducting Study 1, therefore we are not able to provide any specific details for the proposed components. We hope to have the contents designed for each component by Dec 2017.
Sponsors
Hoe Lee
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Subject, Caregiver)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
16 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
To be eligible for the study, the participants have to be a learner driver aged 16 to 35 diagnosed with ASD who intend to learn driving, but have not started any formal driving training.
Exclusion criteria
Participants who cannot speak and understand English, and cannot understand instructions will be excluded.
Outcome results
None listed