Driving, Teens, and Learning Disabilities — Something You Need to Know

Driving Distractions - texting and driving

Has your teen started driving yet?  Every good parent is concerned when their teen starts driving.

Teaching any child to drive can be a quite an encounter.  When a teen has a learning disability, it can increase the challenge. For example, consider that distraction is the leading cause of crashes among all drivers.  Cell phones ringing.  Interesting happenstance on the side of the road.  Taking your eyes off the road for just 2 seconds doubles the chance of either being in or near a crash.

For a teen with ADHD, staying focused on the road may be especially hard.  Impulsivity issues increase the risk of an accident.  In some cases, a teen with ADHD may be more likely to speed.  Depending on your teen’s unique combination of challenges, they may be up to four times more likely to be in a crash.  (Thankfully, ADHD medications may significantly reduce the risk.)

Other challenges can include visual and spatial issues that can affect perception of left and right, judging distances or even reading a map.  Executive functioning issues affect your teen’s ability to quickly make decisions to deal with driving circumstances such as a missed exit or a road detour.  Teens with dyspraxia can have a hard time coordinating body movements and hand-eye coordination.

  • Each teen’s challenges are unique to them, so keep these points in mind as you help them learn to drive.
  • Recognize the issues and that they can impact all driving.
  • Be sure their driving instructor knows the unique topics that should be addressed.
  • Recognize that it may take longer for your child to learn to drive, and they may need more practice.

Having the right insurance for your teen driver is very important.  Contact us and one of our agents will be glad to help you find the best insurance for you.