National Autistic Society will support research project led by the University of Exeter to help autistic people overcome challenges faced in driving a car
A leading charity is to participate in a new research project to develop extended reality (XR) support tools for autistic people to help with the challenges they can face in driving.
Photo by Samuele Errico Piccarini / Unsplash
While for some autistic people driving is preferable to other modes of transport – as it provides a more comfortable and predictable journey – others can face a range of difficulties and barriers. That can impact the confidence of those who already passed their driving tests but may or may not drive, as well as those learning for the first time.
That can in turn affect their independence and cause further issues in other areas that may already be challenging, such as access to education or employment, healthcare appointments or leisure activities.
Since April last year, the National Autistic Society (NAS) has been engaged in work to explore and tackle these challenges as part of a wider programme called Empowering Autistic Travel. Now the NAS has teamed up with researchers to look into extended reality for autistic drivers – or what they’re calling XRAD.
The XRAD project is led by Dr Tom Arthur from the University of Exeter and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Other organisations involved include Centre for Applied Autism Research.
With support from the NAS’s evidence and research team, the partnership established a project steering group comprising eight autistic people with differing levels of driving experience, some of whom have a particular interest in XR technology. This steering group has met several times over the past few months to discuss matters and make key decisions.
The partnership is now engaged in established a co-design team who will help tech developers build the new XR tool. It will soon recruit participants for online and in-person workshop activities to take place this summer. The idea is that these will be relaxed, informal sessions where the team can hear more about people’s experiences and ideas, to feed into the development of the new XR tools. For more information, email T.T.Arthur@exeter.ac.uk
Dr Tom Arthur, Research Lead on XRAD, says: ‘We are delighted to be working alongside the National Autistic Society to develop more inclusive driving support solutions. The project will rely on ideas and insight from lots of autistic people, who are helping us decide what tools we build and how our studies are designed. If we can combine these co-design elements with some of the latest innovations in science and technology, then there could be lots of exciting opportunities to explore and some key barriers to overcome.’
Anoushka Pattenden, Research Partnerships and Participation Manager at the National Autistic Society, adds: ‘We know autistic people are more likely to experience social isolation, and face everyday inequalities. This study aligns with our “Moonshot Vision” in creating a society that works for autistic people, aiming to remove barriers to a tool that so many people rely on every day and take for granted, which is challenging to many autistic people. We are happy to be involved in the project and to support a great example of participatory research.’
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