A new Tennessee-based partnership is launching what organizers believe is the first structured workforce pathway for neurodivergent adults to become Virtual Driving Readiness Instructors, using advanced driving simulation to help learners build confidence and skills before transitioning to on-road instruction.
The initiative brings together assistive technology developers, university researchers, and community-based disability services partners, including Neurodiverse Technologies, the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation, San Diego State University and its STEER curriculum team, and MillarRich, LLC.
Addressing a major barrier to independence and employment
Reliable transportation remains one of the most persistent barriers to employment and community participation for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For many neurodivergent adults, the path to driving independence can be complicated by anxiety, executive functioning challenges, or difficulties processing complex driving environments.
The initiative is designed to address that gap in two ways:
- Expand access to structured driver readiness support through simulation-based training.
- Create a new, meaningful job category for neurodivergent adults.
A new role: Virtual Driving Readiness Instructor
At the center of the model is the Virtual Driving Readiness Instructor role. Instructors use SANDI (Simulation for Advanced Neurodiverse Driver Instruction), a driving simulation platform developed through Vanderbilt University research and supported by FCAI, to guide learners through skill-building in a controlled virtual setting.
Simulation-based instruction can help learners:
- Practice hazard recognition and decision making
- Strengthen situational awareness and cognitive processing skills
- Reduce anxiety associated with learning to drive
- Rehearse complex traffic scenarios safely
Learners transition to on-road instruction only after demonstrating readiness, which organizers say can improve safety, confidence, and outcomes compared with traditional driver education approaches.
First participant: Jimmy Humphrey
The first participant in the program is Jimmy Humphrey, 33, who will train to become the first neurodivergent SANDI Driving Simulation Instructor. Humphrey will support autistic learners and others who experience anxiety or cognitive challenges related to driving, helping them build foundational readiness skills before moving to behind-the-wheel instruction.
Humphrey’s training pathway includes:
- The STEER curriculum (Strategies Transforming Executive-functioning and Emotion Regulation) developed by San Diego State University
- Practical training at MillarRich in Nashville
- Hands-on use of SANDI simulation technology
From research innovation to real jobs
The initiative originated from an idea developed by Jan Schlueter, co-founder and CEO of Neurodiverse Technologies, to connect existing research, enabling technology, and community services into a workforce model that expands both independence and employment opportunities.
“When I looked at the pieces already available — research from Vanderbilt, the SDSU STEER training framework, enabling technology, and strong community partners — it became clear that we could create something bigger,” Schlueter said. “This initiative shows that assistive technology can do more than support learning. It can create entirely new career pathways.”
MillarRich is serving as the Nashville implementation site, where the pilot will be applied and refined as instruction begins.
A model designed to scale
Organizers believe the program could become a replicable national model for combining simulation technology, university research, and community-based services to expand driver readiness training and create new professional pathways for neurodivergent adults.
About the partners
Neurodiverse Technologies develops assistive technologies that support life-skill development and independence for neurodivergent individuals, including SANDI, a driving readiness simulation platform, and NAVIS, a virtual environment for career readiness and interview preparation (in development).
The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation (FCAI) advances research, education, and workforce solutions that improve outcomes for neurodivergent individuals.
San Diego State University STEER Training Program provides an evidence-based training framework for professionals supporting driver readiness for individuals with disabilities.
MillarRich is a Tennessee-based provider of residential services, supported employment programs, and enabling technology services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.