Improving Access to Community Occupations via Rideshare: A Pilot Study With Autistic Adults.

Abstract

Importance: Adults with autism often face barriers to community access for work and leisure, yet few programs address transportation independence and safety. This study evaluated the Safe Rideshare Program (SRP), designed to teach autistic adults to use rideshare services.

Objective: To assess acceptability, appropriateness, and the potential impact of the SRP and to evaluate changes in rideshare use for community access over a 2-mo follow-up period.

Design: A one-group, pretest-posttest study.

Setting: Community.

Participants: Thirteen autistic adults.

Intervention: The SRP consisted of five virtual training modules completed synchronously with project trainers via Zoom, followed by eight ride-along sessions using either Uber or Lyft rideshare services.

Outcomes and measures: Intervention acceptability was rated by participants using the Acceptability of Intervention Measure. Appropriateness of the intervention was assessed by trainers using the Intervention Appropriateness Measure. A 30-item Rideshare Independence Checklist was used to assess independence and safety using rideshare services.

Results: Of the 13 enrolled participants, 12 completed the program with strong acceptability and appropriateness ratings (≥75% threshold was met). Independence and safety significantly improved during the intervention, and at the 2-mo follow-up, 8 participants reported increased independent rides (p = .011).

Conclusions and relevance: The SRP demonstrated preliminary acceptability and appropriateness, as well as the potential to improve transportation independence, safety, and community access for autistic adults. Plain-Language Summary: Many autistic adults face challenges accessing their communities for work, shopping, or social activities because of transportation barriers. Learning how to use rideshare services, such as Uber or Lyft, can help address this issue, but few programs are designed to teach these skills safely and effectively. To fill this gap, our team developed the Safe Rideshare Program (SRP) and tested its usefulness. Thirteen autistic adults, ages 18 to 24 yr, participated in this study. Most participants completed the entire program and gave it high ratings for being easy to follow and helpful. Trainers who worked with the participants also reported that the program was useful. By the end of the training, participants showed significant improvements in their ability to use rideshare services independently and safely. Two months after finishing the program, many participants continued to use rideshare services. On the basis of our preliminary findings, we believe that the SRP shows promise in helping autistic adults overcome transportation barriers and gain more independence. With improved access to transportation, participants were able to engage in more community activities, which can improve their quality of life and open up new opportunities for engagement.