Learning to drive in Miami is already frightening — imagine that experience for those who have autism. A first-of-its-kind program in South Florida is steering students in the right direction. NBC6’s Sheli Muñiz reports
Learning to drive in Miami is already frightening — imagine that experience for those who have autism. A first-of-its-kind program in South Florida is steering students in the right direction.
A new report from the CDC says one in 31 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder by their 8th birthday. The findings reflect a dramatic rise in autism over the past 20 years.
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WATCH HERE"As someone on the spectrum, driving makes me very nervous,” said Anna Mariani, who participated in the DRIVE program.
Thanks to Nicklaus Children’s Virtual Reality Honda Drive Program, Mariani is now hitting the road.
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“I was diagnosed at the age of 17, which is pretty late,” she said.
Mariani, now 23 years old, says that as someone with autism, she wanted to learn the ways of the road in a controlled environment.
"Through the program, we teach them everything from buckling their seat belt, all the way to interacting with a police officer. The simulator that we use is fantastic because it has the headset, the wheels, the pedal, and on the laptop, I get to see what the student is doing in the virtual reality world,” said Blanca Diaz, behavioral analyst with Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.
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Diaz steers the students, per se, through the 7.5-week program that blends virtual reality with hands-on driving experience. Students must have a learner’s permit, and the program prepares them for their driving exam.
"Basically, what we wanted to do was level the playing field for our ASD community and our neurodiverse community — not replace any resource, but just be an add-on service to get them to the next step,” Diaz said.
It’s helping them see their full potential. For Mariani, she realized her dream of driving after the program helped her pass the driver’s test. Her next destination? Helping others see their full potential.
"Especially if you're someone like me that thinks that driving might be difficult or you're a little bit scared of it, I think that this program really could help you become more comfortable with just the idea of getting behind the wheel. And I think you should start somewhere, and this program is an amazing place to start,” Mariani said.
Young adults with autism have a lower employment rate, and one of the challenges is transportation. The hospital reports 100% of the participants make it to real-world lessons, and at least 10 students with autism have successfully received their driver’s licenses.
If you would like to learn more about the program, you can email: driveprogram@nicklaushealth.org
