OK, so I seriously need you guys help

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First of all, I cannot drive. Because of my AS, I think there is a chance I won't be able to drive eventually. This is in need of help because I have a dream of becoming a Hollywood actor and my driving abilities depend on it. I need fate to help me get through this without screwing up (and if it fails to do that, there is a 99.999% chance that fate hates me). I have no driving experience. I am actually going to Driver's Ed for college next year, though. I think I need tips. Not only for this reason, but the thought of not being able to eventually drive has led me to be hostile towards friends/family and very emotional.

P.S. I am 18 years old.

I am 33 and still find it frustrating to not be able to drive, always relying on someone to get me there. You also have to use social skills in order to get people to drive you and be courteous enough so they will do it again, if you cant drive safely you shouldnt drive, period.

It's good that your school offers a drivers' ed. program; in the meantime though, if affordable/possible/etc. you might want to consider one of two options: asking someone to help you with driving around an empty parking lot sometime or enrolling in a private drivers' ed. program.

You might also want to consider learning how to drive a manual transmission (stick shift). It never hurts to have back-up.

I was terrified when I first attempted to get my drivers licence when I was 17. I don't know how I managed to get through the test back then but I did. I know it took me much longer than many of my friends though. I needed a lot more practice and I refused to practice with my family. I had to have a stranger teach me in a lesson setting.

I've had my licence now for nearly 20 years and driving is my favourite thing. BUT I can't ever have anyone else in the car with me except my dog. I also can't listen to music or have any distraction when driving. I need absolute concentration and I think I'm a very good driver. I've never once had an accident and I'm very cautious of road rules and safety. If anyone else is in the car I panic because I lose concentration and worry about their safety. People who know me understand this so they know not to ask me for lifts somewhere or that I will ask them to get a bus and meet me instead of me picking them up. I find driving a very good release for my brain when I'm wired up. If I go for a long drive then I calm down and feel good.

The only part i really hate is if there is too much traffic. I get a little stressed on motorways because i always do the speed limit and often have people doing the wrong thing beeping me. I always stay in the slow lane but i know it's those people who need to slow down not me that should speed up. I live in a country area though so unless I go to the city i dont have to worry about that.

my advice is take it slowly. i put so much pressure on myself to get my licence but it did take me a long time. make sure you find the right teacher who makes you comfortable.

I didn't start driving till eight years ago and I'm now 43 years old. But a change in environment helped me. I live in a quieter area now than the busy city I used to live in.

My advice is this: Try and get friends or family or religious ministers who will let you have a go at driving, with them in the seat besides you, for recreation. The more hours you can get up, in quiet side streets or country drives; then the more at ease you will be and the more natural it will come when doing driver ed course. The main thing is lots of stress free hours. So your first exposure should be comfortable and not to a timetable, just fun.

I'm 23 and can't drive....because my paranoid parents don't think people with autism can drive. They think driving would be "too confusing" for me. I wish they would stop making desicions for me based on their ignorance. I may but autistic but I I AM A f*****g ADULT!

I'm 31 and have gone through two instruction permits. Recently I realized that I just can't see the street signs, so I got an eye exam and a new prescription--my new glasses should be ready by the end of the week.

Don't worry. You're a lot younger than I am. If you have the will and desire to try to learn to drive, you will. At your age, I had neither--the thought was terrifying.

I agree with this. I'm glad you have the opportunity to take Driver's Ed--in that environment, you should be able to safely determine whether or not you are comfortable behind the wheel.

I am for the most part--depends on who's in the seat next to me.

Good luck, let us know what happens.

I'm 28 and have been driving since I was 17. I've been in six accidents, only one where I was at fault, and that was when I was 17. The other five were where the other driver was completely at fault (I have the five year good driver discount on my insurance). I have driven over 300,000 miles in the 11 years I've been driving, or roughly three times the national average, and now drive a commercial vehicle as part of my job.

Take driver's education courses, and don't be afraid to pull over and get to a safe place if you get overwhelmed - I've done that more times than I can count. Don't drive with others in the car with you until you feel confident in your abilities, and don't drive if you're upset, overwhelmed or otherwise compromised in any way.

Having AS itself does not exclude one from driving. What are your specific issues with it?

You might have heard that Californians...Los Angelenos in particular, are rude, horrible drivers. This is true. But I've actually found that for people who need to drive slowly, Los Angeles is a fairly easy city to drive in because the traffic rarely moves faster than 35mph and you have to stop at signals and stop signs a lot.

The biggest challenge is the left hand turns because a lot of streets don't have left hand turn lanes, and a lot of lights don't have left hand turn arrows. People frequently have to pull out into the intersection and wait for the yellow light in order to make the turn.

People will honk at you if you don't turn when they want you to but you can ignore them. People in LA are generally too shallow and too absorbed with their own life to dwell on things that pissed them off on the road.

Once you are out of their way they are on to honking at the next "idiot who can't drive" in front of them and have completely forgotten about you.

The city also has fairly good public transportation, believe it or not. If you plan carefully you can utilize this a lot of the time. If you have two auditions in one day though, it might be better to drive.

So just focus on the road and don't worry about the @$$hole behind you.

You are 23, which is a legal adult, and they actually can't make that decision for you. So what's stopping you?

Don't know how to apply for a learner permit and even if I did there is no way I could get to the DMV without someone to drive me. I don't know anyone around here and there are no buses.

It took me 5 years of learning before I was ready to go for my practical driver's test and even then I did not feel ready just had to start at a new university the next week where I had to drive myself but I managed to pass that.
Try to start out with a lot of basic "control the car" practice until it is instinctive before trying to add driving in actual traffic. I found having to think of too many things at the same time I would start ignoring things (which would be bad if it is oncoming traffic).

I also have an automobile association membership which would allow me to phone for assistance should I need it, including being driven home should I be unable to drive myself for some reason - such as a severe meltdown. Other than that I avoid high traffic areas/times, plan my route according to traffic signals making the route easier and use a GPS if I have to go anywhere that I don't go to every week as that way I don't have to worry when I go off the planned route.

I concede I found driving, especially the road rules, and getting their nuances, all a bit confusing at the beginning. But it gets better with time and practice. Even after all these years I can get a little confused if I overthink the driving, but have developed strategies. I prefer to stick to routes I know. I look far ahead to give myself time to think out a problem as I get near my destination. And MOST importantly, I remember 'safety first'. So if I'm unsure, I will pull over and think about it, read a map, get out of the car and have a look, whatever, at my own pace. Stopped cars crash less than moving ones.

It's better to be a little bit late than dead on time.

Why on earth would AS be a problem?? I'd say people with AS are BETTER drivers, because they observe better, posses more logical thinking and are more "bulletproof" against road rage. They also tend to be less agressive drivers.

Am i missing something here?

I hate to say it so bluntly, but unless you live in a place like NYC you're going to have to learn to drive and get your license if you don't want to be dependent on others. You may not like driving, and it's not always easy, but it's an essential skill in today's world. I don't like driving, but I got my license last year and have needed to drive for so many different things. Take as long as you need to practice driving and get comfortable operating a vehicle, and take as many tests as you need to to pass your driver's test. Getting over driver anxiety is tough if you have it, but if you only have anxiety, you can't let it control you forever. I'm sure with plenty of practice most people could be very good drivers.

I love driving, and I love cars. It's hard to comprehend someone not wanting to drive, although I understand that it can be scary and, at times, overwhelming. I bought my first car, a 1991 BMW 318i, when I was 16 (for a whopping $2,300, IIRC), and I had a blast; that said, it had a manual transmission, and on the first night I bought it, I stalled in the middle of an intersection at the crest of a hill. Not fun. Lucky I'm still here, lol...

I just sold my car yesterday and am officially carless, having to resort to parents' cars. It's a horrible feeling of dependence that I want to remedy ASAP but need to get my business off the ground first...

I think if you're determined to do most anything, you can do it, AS or otherwise. That really isn't something that will stop you, unless your coordination and concentration are so awful so as to present a danger to yourself and others on the road. And if that is the case, and you become a Hollywood star, well, suffice it to say you'll have plenty of dough for a driver.