- 1,908
As it stands now, in the state of Georgia, if you want a license to drive, you must pass the written test, as well as the road test.
My son, Ben, is Autistic, and has a comprehension problem, when reading the questions. So, DDS does provide him someone to read the questions. Here's the kicker:
God Bless my son. He has taken the exam 12 times, and 9 of those times, missed passing by 1 question.
Visually, Ben does great. I have taken him out, on the road, and he knows when to begin braking, what lane to turn into when entering a divided highway, etc.
Ben, even though he has not passed it yet, has not gotten discouraged.
Another issue is noise. The testing area is separated by dividers, but you can still hear:
Ben is not the only young adult with Autism that is having this problem.
Since some on the Autism spectrum learn visually, why not put a visual road test on the screen, and have them answer the questions, while looking at the pictures (animated or not) on the screen?
When I inquired about this during our last visit to the Driver Services, I was told that is not an option. What made me mad was, several weeks ago, as I was sharing this frustration with my barber, who is from Russia, she shared an interesting story.
When she came to America, knowing very little English, she was handed a cheat sheet to pass the test. In fact, that was the practice for all non-English speakers who immigrated to America. If they can do that for them, then why not go a bit further in accommodating those who learn differently?
So, here, FINALLY, is my question. And, I raise it in this forum, hoping that some of you Auto Insurance guys and gals may have come across something like this.Question: Who do I start with, in expanding this service to those who learn/retain information visually?
Do I go to the head of Department of Driver Services (DDS)?
Do I go to the Insurance Commissioner?
Do I start with my local state representative?
I know it's off topic, but I want to do something. If Ben is having this trouble, than I am sure others are as well.
My son, Ben, is Autistic, and has a comprehension problem, when reading the questions. So, DDS does provide him someone to read the questions. Here's the kicker:
- They are only allowed to read the question ONE time
- Sometimes they have not articulated the words properly
- Other times, they have acted bored, and not read the questions properly
God Bless my son. He has taken the exam 12 times, and 9 of those times, missed passing by 1 question.
Visually, Ben does great. I have taken him out, on the road, and he knows when to begin braking, what lane to turn into when entering a divided highway, etc.
Ben, even though he has not passed it yet, has not gotten discouraged.
Another issue is noise. The testing area is separated by dividers, but you can still hear:
- Them calling the next person to a certain window
- Chatter from the people that stand around the testing areas, even though there are signs that instruct them not to. They also talk near the testing area, but ignore that sign as well.
Ben is not the only young adult with Autism that is having this problem.
Since some on the Autism spectrum learn visually, why not put a visual road test on the screen, and have them answer the questions, while looking at the pictures (animated or not) on the screen?
When I inquired about this during our last visit to the Driver Services, I was told that is not an option. What made me mad was, several weeks ago, as I was sharing this frustration with my barber, who is from Russia, she shared an interesting story.
When she came to America, knowing very little English, she was handed a cheat sheet to pass the test. In fact, that was the practice for all non-English speakers who immigrated to America. If they can do that for them, then why not go a bit further in accommodating those who learn differently?
So, here, FINALLY, is my question. And, I raise it in this forum, hoping that some of you Auto Insurance guys and gals may have come across something like this.Question: Who do I start with, in expanding this service to those who learn/retain information visually?
Do I go to the head of Department of Driver Services (DDS)?
Do I go to the Insurance Commissioner?
Do I start with my local state representative?
I know it's off topic, but I want to do something. If Ben is having this trouble, than I am sure others are as well.