Hello Sam, i am 14 so i really shouldnt worry about this yet. Bit i am kind of concerned about me driving when i am older. I have HFA and my mum says that i cannot drive because of my autism and Tourettes syndrome. Whereas my dad say the opposite. Can i drive? If so, how will i afford to buy a car, let alone taxes? How do i even get a licence or apply to drive?
Time is going to pass and i will be stuck in this situation, i can at least k ow what to do. Thanks!
Sam
Hi there,
In the UK the government body responsible for driving licences is the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, also known as the DVLA. The DVLA is allowed to prevent you from driving if you have certain disabilities or medical conditions. Many people can still drive despite a disability or medical problem and it's down to each individual person's situation.
You don't need to tell the DVLA about your autism or Tourette's syndrome, unless it affects your ability to drive safely. This means that unless there is a good reason to believe your conditions would impact on your driving then it's not something you need to worry about.
Millions of people drive with disabilities and health problems - there is no reason to believe that you can't do it either. You have to be 17 before you can begin to learn to drive so by the time you’re this age you will probably have more of an understanding about how you might be affected.
Thanks for sharing this with me, I hope this has helped. You can always talk to our counsellors about anything that’s worrying you.
Take care.
Sam
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