Autism Designation on Virginia Driver's Licenses

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I would like to know what people think about this legislation. A bill has been introduced in VA that would allow for an autism designation (or intellectual disability designation) on a driver's license or special ID. While the bill is supposedly voluntary, new drivers who are 15.5-18 could be signed up by parents or guardians. Chidlren who get a special DMV ID could also be signed up. I have had some interesting conversations and comments on Facebook and would like to hear from others. Pros and cons. I wrote a blog entry based on some of the comments I received, and made an "alternate" FB page since there is one that is promoting the bill, and headed up by parents of younger children.

Please note that the decision to put an autism dx on your license *is* voluntary if you are 18 or over and can legally make your own decisions. Also, the designation would appear as a code somewhere on the license. I made a graphic that shows the word "autism" in red, but that was for visual effect. I am quite certain that no bright read "autism" words will appear on a driver's license.

http://paulacdurbinwestbyautisticblog.b ... ivers.html

https://www.facebook.com/SB367VirginiaA ... ersLicense

There's too much potential for this to escalate into something abusive. I carry a medic-alert card that states I have autism; I don't want to be stigmatized permanently while driving. That's it. Imagine if someone's license said gay, transgender, or what their religion is - same idea.

the designation on the card would only be useful if police were trained in dealing with folks with autism.

When police are taught anything at all about people with autism, they are taught to think of them as potentially violent, mentally challenged oafs, to talk down to them like they were morons and subdue them at the slightest sign of agitation, and dump them on the nearest psychiatric facility. Never tell a cop you have autism.

This.

And the insurance companies may use your autism to easily justify raising your rates and/or deductible. They may say that you are at greater risk for making bad judgments under stressful situations, or for having a "meltdown" that is expressed as "road rage".

No effing way am I voluntarily allowing any indication of an autistic spectrum disorder to appear on my driver's license!

I like the idea of carrying some card like the following in my wallet immediately behid my license.  Then it's my choice whether to give it to the police officer or not.

I might well choose to show the card when out taking a walk.  I might choose not to show the card if pulled over when driving.

This is something I've thought about,  I have not yet made the card.

why would you ever disclose this on a government ID or to the gov't? Sounds like a great way to yourself "randomly selected" at checkpoints.

These things always start out as "reasonable" and usually end up as a mass civil rights and constitutional violation that most people do not care or want to know about because they personally think they have done no wrong and have nothing to hide. It was not always this way. In the 1970's when the revelation that this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huston_Plan was considered and REJECTED people were shocked to the core and it was a factor in forcing a president to resign. This is tame compared to what we know has been done, never mind what we don't know about.

Another voluntary reasonable thing to worry where it might lead. http://swampland.time.com/2014/01/29/ju ... -autistic/

I used to be a proud flag waving American when it was unpopular in the 1970s. Now I am just ashamed and embarrassed and not only about this. What the f**k happened America?

being that most people with autism and other neurological conditions usually take medicine.it could open the door for police to take aggressive approach to driving under the influence of script meds.like if one is physicaly injured in a way thats visably they might try to search car for vicadin or oxies.likewise if a driver has a visable ( via ID card) neurological condition they could try to search car for,vallium,seraquil or clonzapams or whatever.

Assuming that this is completely voluntary, I say that it should be an individuals choice whether or not they wish to disclose that information on their driver's license.

+1

All I can see is insurance rates skyrocketing. Bad enough they are high for young adults.
Young adult+Autism=gouge city. If you turn 18, does the state delete that information from the data banks?

Plus, you fork over your license for picture ID, and not just at a doctor's office. You apply for work, you have to show picture ID. You are outing yourself to everyone.

I have Bipolar Disorder. No way in HELL would I want that on a drivers license. Just another excuse for the cops to tazer me.

I agree, except that they will dump them in a psychiatric facility. They will dump you right in jail on some trumped up charge, after they beat the crap out of you, just for the fun of it. The police are not your friend. Tell them as little as possible, and get on your way.

I have no idea why someone would want to have this on their DL.

Precisely the point I was about to bring up. This legislation is an obvious means to single us out from everyone else, how "coincidental" that this sort of thing happened to begin after Sandy Hook.

There's an obvious war on autism going on, in short and small strides it can look harmless, but put into the larger picture that it is, and it becomes a devastating weapon.

When I first posted this, there was a place where I could "add a poll," so I clicked that and made up a question, which was "Would you put your autism dx on your driver's license?" If I actually did manage to create a poll, I have no idea how to access it! If anyone saw a poll, would you comment here, so that I can looking for it? Thanks, Paula

Since when has Virginia ever done anything to try to improve conditions for people with autism? This is obviously an attempt to discriminate against people on the spectrum. If it was someplace like Vermont or Maine trying to enact this legislation, it would be more believable that it's intended to benefit us; though it probably wouldn't work out that way.

what has vermont or maine done that you know of