Coolmom47,
Of course adhders can drive. I've had my licence for over 40 yrs! lol!
I have 2 adult children with adhd and who drive. That said, I have a 14 yr old with AS and adhd making noises about getting his licence.
I do not approve of kids getting a permit and getting their licences 3 mo later[any kid!] I allowed my kids to get their permits at age 16. I taught them the basics of driving[in empty parking lots and backroads]. Then I MADE them take driver's ed. They had to have their permit for a full year before I would allow them to test out. I made sure that they could drive in rain, snow, wind, icy roads, day, night, through construction[day and night] before they got thier licences. Once they got their licences, they were surprised to discover that they could no long drive. They weren't covered under my insurance. So... in order to be able to drive, they had to get parttime jobs to earn their insurance. Then they bought their own cars.[with a little guidence from mom and dad] Until they were 18 and graduated from high school they were only allowed to make short trips and had to be alone. [no friends in the car]
Luckily, none have ever caused an accident and only one has gotten a speeding ticket. [at age 37 he should know better! lol!] Having to earn their licences and know that having one is a privlege and not a right makes a world of difference.
I have seen some good articles about this, probably mostly on http://www.additudemag.com.
The big factor seems to be whether or not the teen takes meds.
We are insisting that ours take meds, which he refused to do for a time. I don't know if it for this reason that he finally decided to take the meds again or not, but I am thankful that he is trying again.
I can't see where education would hurt; it could only help. I just hope my own ds retains the information and doesn't balk at the meds again!
Hi,
My 2 teens went to drivers ed. last summer they were older, they turned 17 in june and it went well. Our doctor told them that it is important to take meds when they are driving because of the adhd. One of them just got her liscence and the other is going soon. They will soon be 18 I think they probably did better than they would have younger. That is just my kids I am not sure how younger kid do but as long as they take their meds, they should do fine.
My DS wants to take "Drivers Education." With what we know about ADHD and teenagers ability to drive in general, what are your thoughts or experiences? He is old enough to start the training. He actually can already drive (thanks to his dad) which makes him anxious to get his permit. It seems everyday there is a news story about teenage drivers dying in accidents. I'm terrified to release my son to the world when he already has so much to deal with. Coolmom, I posted a little about Driver's Ed in your "unmotivated highschooler" thread. My daughter with ADHD isn't near that age yet, but I think I would focus on making sure that the child can act responsibly, demonstrate maturity and good judgment, and can control impulsiveness before allowing him or her to begin earning a driver's license. Also, I mentioned in the other thread, Triple A offers a great "Dare to Prepare" seminar for teens and their parents to get started with the whole driver's training thing.