Adelphi, Gersh Drivers Ed Partner to Help Neurodivergent Students Get Driver's License

Garden City, NY (11/07/2022) — Adelphi University has partnered with Gersh Drivers Ed to help its students on the autism spectrum in the Bridges to Adelphi program get their licenses using a driving simulator. The 48-week program began on September 19 by preparing students to take the permit test, after which they began to uses a virtual driving simulator in the Bridges office.

A collaboration with Gersh Drivers Ed in Huntington, an affiliated program of the Gersh Academy, it's the first college program on Long Island designed to meet the learning style of neurodivergent students.

Diana Damilatis-Kull, director of the Bridges to Adelphi program and an adjunct faculty member in Adelphi's Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, said many individuals on the autism spectrum receive their license much later in life or not at all. "When you get your license, you're able to go and come as you please, so it's a big milestone for many people, including our students, and the next bridge into the real world."

Marken Suaza, 22, an Adelphi senior anthropology major graduating in December, commutes from Valley Stream, New York, by public transportation or with help from his family. "It would be helpful to be able to drive myself places and have independence," he said. "I got my permit during the pandemic and took my road test last year. I was doing pretty good until parallel parking. I thought I should I try [this program], get some good practice and make sure to get my license this time."

In the spring, the students will move on to the third phase of the program, which will utilize golf carts on campus and will be supported by Adelphi's Department of Public Safety and Transportation. In the program's final phase, students receive instruction in an actual car on and near campus. Currently, five Adelphi students are in the permit phase and six are in the simulation phase.

Nicolas Rontanini, 22, an Adelphi senior communications major who currently commutes to the University from Williston Park either by Uber or with a family member, is in phase two of the program and plans to continue in the program after he graduates in December. "It helps to have access to a program that I've been in for so long and to be able to be in a comfortable environment. When you're doing something for the first time, you could easily be discouraged."

Joel B. Geller, executive director of the Gersh Drivers Ed program, said the program is open to all abilities. He explained that neurotypical drivers ed classes are limited to 36 students in a classroom,but this program generally hasclass sizes of between four and eight students, with a maximum of 12

"It is our goal to provide each student with the necessary information and techniques needed to be a safe and responsible driver and to provide a learning-friendly environment that meets the needs of each student's learning style. My core value is that they don't learn the way we teach; we teach the way they learn."

Learn more about the Bridges to Adelphi program and at adelphi.edu/bridges

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