In occupational therapy, driving is one of the most common assessments. A driver’s license is a legal document that allows someone to operate a motor vehicle on public roads. This assessment is important because it usually takes place in the context of an injury or disability which has resulted in retraining (or preventing) for this specific skill.
Furthermore, there are many factors that can affect how well someone drives including mental health conditions like depression and anxiety as well as physical impairments such as visual impairment, hearing loss and traumatic brain injuries.
What is an Occupational Therapy Driving Assessment?
OT Driving Assessments are designed to test the following:
- Visual skills necessary to safely operate a motor vehicle (e.g., visual scanning, visual memory, visual discrimination, eye-hand coordination)
- Gait and balance abilities that may affect safe driving (e.g., strength, flexibility, endurance)
- Reaction time and peripheral vision (e.g., ability to see a light turn from red to green)
- Cognitive tasks that may affect driving performance (e.g., understanding of traffic signs and signals, following directions when given by a road sign or another driver, using judgment when it is safe to change lanes).
- Memory skills that are necessary to safely operate a motor vehicle (e.g., memory for traffic signs, numbers, letters)
- Reaction time and peripheral vision (e.g., ability to see a light turn from red to green)
- Cognitive tasks that may affect driving performance (e.g., understanding of traffic signs and signals, following directions when given by a road sign or another driver, using judgment when it is safe to change lanes).
- Ability to operate car controls (e.g., turning the wheel left and right while stopped at a red light; use of accelerator and brake pedals)
- Coordination abilities that affect driving performance (e.g., hand-eye coordination, upper extremity strength and endurance)
- Reaction time and peripheral vision (e.g., ability to see a light turn from red to green).
How Does an OT Driving Assessment Help?
The information collected during the assessment will help determine whether an individual has a safe driving ability or if a referral for further assessment or treatment is necessary. If there are concerns, a referral may be made to an occupational therapist who specializes in driving assessment and rehabilitation so that the individual can learn skills to improve his/her ability to safely operate a vehicle. This assessment will help determine whether it is safe for an individual to continue driving as well as identify those individuals who need further instruction on driving skills.
If you or a loved one has experienced an injury or medical condition that has resulted in changes to your ability to drive, occupational therapy may be of help.
When Do You Need to See an Occupational Therapist?
You may need an occupational therapist (OT) if you:
- Have a physical, neurological or mental condition that inhibits daily activities
- Experience developmental delays, learning problems or sensory disorders
- Struggle with mental health conditions, like anxiety
- Have autism or other intellectual disabilities
- Are recovering from an injury or illness
Expert Occupational Therapists on the Sunshine Coast
Coastal Rehab practices occupational therapy with a patient-centric philosophy aimed at reducing the barriers to success. They care about their clients and genuinely strive to help them achieve health, happiness, and fulfilment, and want to see every client attain a happy and independent life.
Coastal Rehab has provided professional OT rehabilitation and assessment services to the Sunshine Coast community for more than two decades. When working with them, you are guaranteed to receive the utmost respect, understanding, and expert opinion on your case.
