CORRECTION: The article has been corrected to reflect Autism Acceptance Month

Five years ago, Ford fellow and senior technical leader, Debbie Mielewski, approached her division director with an idea. What if Ford helped fund a driving school that was tailored to drivers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? Her director agreed, and the idea took off. Today, as we celebrate Autism Acceptance Month this April, Mielewski and team are celebrating a new phase of the program that is offering even more opportunities to drivers with ASD.

Ford, together with Ann Arbor Academy, who provided the driving school and the University of Michigan, who provided a simulator program that gives drivers road experience through simulation, enabled 30 students with ASD to realize their potential and learn to drive. The team completed phase one of the program through tailored curriculum, education, virtual driving simulations, in-vehicle training and even a prototype app to help these students learn comfortably. In the end, all 30 students received their driver’s permits – and some even went on to get their licenses. The pandemic halted plans for a phase two, until now, as the program is gearing up to support the next set of future drivers with ASD.

You see, this type of driving school is something that is near and dear to Mielewski’s heart – her son, Tate, was diagnosed with ASD when he was 3 years old.

“One of my dreams for my son is that one day, when my husband and I are no longer around, he’ll have the tools to be as independent as possible – the freedom to go where he needs to go,” Mielewski said. “I wanted to explore the possibilities of a driving school for people with ASD because I truly believe if there is a program tailored specifically to them, the possibilities are endless.”

To say the entire program is innovative would be a massive understatement. Through simulation at the University of Michigan, instructors were able to pinpoint the areas that need the most focus in students’ driver education – where they tend to avert their gaze, what makes them nervous, lane keeping, braking and so on. The data from the UofM simulator was taken and given to the instructors at Ann Arbor Academy so that they could be sure to focus on those areas while the drivers were out on the road. And Ford Motor Company helped fund all of this, all because Mielewski had the passion to ask.

“I’ve had many moments in my long career at Ford where I’ve felt proud to work for this company, but this one is up there at the top,” said Mielewski. “I couldn’t be prouder to work for a company who values family and is willing to help fund something so important to me and to many, something so personal – so that my son, and anyone who has a child with ASD, can rest easy knowing that they have a means to have some independence.”

The driver education program goes hand-in-hand with the company’s FordWorks inclusive hiring program – providing on-the-job training and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. The FordWorks program has successfully hired multiple workers with ASD for jobs in plants and campus operations.

“Ford is a family company – generations have made their memories with us and included us in their hopes and dreams,” said Niambi Powell, diversity, equity and inclusion partner, Ford. “FordWorks is part of the company’s evolution to focus on services, experiences and software as well as vehicles, creating a world with fewer obstacles for everyone.”

Phase two of the program, with enhanced training opportunities for a brand new class of students with ASD, is set to begin later this year. As the world celebrates Autism Acceptance Month, Ford employees can feel proud working for a company that supports its people and their families in such a personal way.