AJ Lumley, 21 and living in Cardiff, has ADHD.
He hasn’t been able to take his driving test for the past four years after struggling to find an instructor that is trained to teach people who are neurodivergent.
“I find two hour lessons too difficult because I lose focus, but that was all I was offered”, he told CJS News.
AJ claimed that driving instructors need more training to understand the specific needs that neurodivergent learners require. He said he often felt misunderstood during his lessons.
It makes me feel really defeated to think there’s not enough awareness out there for people like me to get trained instructors”
Being unable to drive leaves AJ worried about not being able to get a job, as he has to rely on the bus or his younger sister to take him to places.
AJ said people with neurodivergent conditions like his would benefit from more breaks in their lessons and having slower methods of teaching.
There are opportunities available to get specially-trained instructors if people qualify for the Personal Independent Payment scheme, a benefit for those with physical and non-physical conditions.
But the scheme has a long waiting list, with many learners unable to find other affordable ways to get driving lessons that cater to their needs.
But Dave Broadhurst, a driving instructor in Cardiff, said extra training and further costs are another barrier, especially as the adapted cars they need cost up to £35,000.
“A lot of instructors aren’t comfortable changing their teaching methods and the costs of the adapted vehicles are also putting them off … we desperately need more out there”.
Dearbhla Shannon, a clinician at The Wales Mobility and Driving Assessment Service, works with instructors to assess people who need specialist support in driving lessons.
She said having more instructors available to teach neurodivergent learners would help with independence.
“Having more opportunities for these people to learn how to drive can make the difference between staying at home with parents and living a more independent life… their own self-esteem improves as well, because they can prove to themselves that they can pass it”.
The Chief Executive of Disabled Motoring UK, Graham Footer, has acknowledged that there are not enough resources out there to support neurodivergent learners.
He told CJS News, “We believe more could be done in this area…particularly when it comes to driving instructors having the right skills to be able to effectively give tuition to neurodivergent people”.
The DVSA have been approached for comment.