The DRIVE Program (Driving Improvements Through Virtual Reality Experience) has officially hit the road. Students with numerous hours of virtual reality exposure and stable, decreasing levels of anxiety got behind the wheel of a real car. With the help of an expert driving instructor from Andina Driving School and the lead instructor of the program, Blanca Diaz, the participants have been generalizing the skills learned in the virtual reality world to real world settings including parking lots, low traffic areas, residential areas, and commercial roads.
During its internal pilot year in 2023, the DRIVE Program showed promising results. The pilot program proved successful in decreasing participant anxiety within less than 20 sessions (sessions were 1 hour in length, and participants came in on an average of once a week) and successfully transitioning students to behind-the-wheel driving of a real car. Additionally, there was a 36% reduction in driving-related anxiety across all participants on average, parent anxiety was reduced an average of 68% from baseline to the end of the program trials, and participant behind-the-wheel anxiety is reduced by 41% across all participants.
Congratulations to all the DRIVE Program participants for their active and invaluable contribution to the program. After completion of numerous hours of virtual reality and behind-the-wheel driving, these students are ready to continue their driving lessons and steer to more challenging routes, reaching closer and closer to their ultimate goal… attaining their driver’s license.
The DRIVE Program continues to support neurodiverse individuals as they continue their driving lessons, securing more experience and miles under their belt. The DRIVE Program is now a Vocational Rehabilitation vendor and enrolling new participants. Virtual reality has shown to be successful in decreasing learner’s anxiety and fears around the idea of getting behind the wheel of a real car. If you are, or know, a neurodiverse individual who would love to participate, please contact us. The only requirements are a learner’s permit and being registered with Vocational Rehabilitation.
For more information visit: https://www.nicklauschildrens.org/programs/drive-program