5 minute read
Professional Practice & Standards Update
Driving a motor vehicle is an important part of everyday life in Australia – and a particularly important form of transport for people affected by disability. The freedom, independence and choice afforded by driving or travelling in motor vehicles can be pivotal to successful employment, social inclusion and community participation. The National Transport Commission provides clear medical standards and detailed guidelines for assessing fitness to drive (NTC 2022). This assessment aims to achieve a balance between minimising road safety risks and maintaining the driver’s lifestyle and employment-related mobility independence (NTC 2022). Occupational Therapy Driving Assessors (OTDA) have a long-standing and integral role in assessing fitness to drive. I hope the reflections, resources and training outlined
OT Driving Assessment: Insights and Experiences
Carol Jewell, OTA Practice Advisor
Beth Dermer (NSW)
Our clients consider driving as one of their most valued instrumental activities of daily living: important for maintaining independence and community connection. However, driving is complex and therefore easily disrupted by injury, medical conditions or age-related changes. Working as a driving assessor is very rewarding because we can often assist drivers to return to this key occupation via vehicle modifications, training and task adaptation. Sometimes clients are unable to return to safe driving, but we can keep them and the community safe by facilitating driving cessation and supporting them to find other community access options.
below give you greater insight into the valuable role they play.
OTDA’s are occupational therapists with advanced practice skills. They undergo postgraduate training to assess the driving competence of people with medical conditions, design relevant driver rehabilitation and driver retraining programs, and provide guidance through the licensing process (OTA 2015, OTA 2018). They are required to comply with the National Transport Commission Assessing Fitness to Drive Standards and meet the Australian Competency Standards for OTDA set out by the OTA National Driving Taskforce (NTC 2022, OTA 2018). The role of an OTDA can be complex, challenging and rewarding. This is illustrated in the reflections and insights shared by some members of the OTA National Driving Taskforce:
Belinda Johnston (ACT)
The OTDA course was very interesting, and my skills gained across many areas I had worked in occupational therapy were entirely applicable. I had no intention of being a driving assessor, however I live in the ACT and soon word got out that there was a “new OTDA in town”! I started to receive enquiries from clients, automotive modifiers and other OTDAs asking whether I would take on referrals. I set up a sole practitioner practice while working closely with another sole and experienced OTDA practitioner for mentoring and professional support. There are both joys and challenges to this work. But some of the positives are the ability to work from home and flexible hours. This is appealing to me. I became involved with the NSW/ACT Driver Interest Group and am now a member of the OTA National Driving Taskforce. One surprise for me was the amount of work, the waiting lists for occupational therapy driving assessments, and the difficulty some say they have finding an OTDA. So in between clients, I have started postgraduate research into the current practice experience of OTDAs and hope to identify solutions to highlighted issues. Driving is a vital issue for both independence and community safety, and the specialty of driving assessment offers many opportunities. I encourage you to consider a career as an OTDA.
Brad Williams (SA)
As a driver-trained occupational therapist, we get to assess so many different conditions and disabilities that every day is different. Areas of assessment and intervention can include (but is certainly not limited to) autism, dementia, spinal cord injury, stroke, amputations, mental health conditions, vision issues – the list goes on. So, although it is a niche area of practice, never do I have the same day, and it is more about having a large amount of knowledge about the functional requirements of what it takes to drive a car.
Working with modifications for vehicles is where I personally find the most enjoyment. The adaptations that can be achieved in a vehicle to achieve independence are very rewarding – and for me exciting. I love learning about the new gadgets that can assist people to achieve a functional task that so many take for granted. When you can assist a client drive their power wheelchair into the driving position and operate some very innovative driving controls (such as voice activation for indicators, wipers, horn and even windows) and teach them how to use controls that make the pedals operate with one hand, and make the steering wheel spin around in front of them without touching it with the other hand – or even drive with no hands at all – it is such a great feel-good feeling. We also travel all over the state of South Australia with our modified car to assist people in need. It is very gratifying.
To find out more about what it is like to be a drivertrained occupational therapist, I invite you to connect up with the drive-ability podcast. In this podcast we get to talk about and highlight driver outcomes, community mobility solutions, success stories, aids and options.
Assessing Fitness to Drive Standards
OTDAs are highly skilled practitioners. They have a pivotal role in enabling and supporting people affected by disability to drive or travel by car. This affords people affected by disabilities the opportunity, independence and autonomy to fully participate in their chosen community activities and roles. Occupational therapists may train to become OTDAs by doing a competencybased postgraduate training course. As illustrated, this is a highly valued and rewarding career pathway to take.
References can be viewed by scanning the QR code If you would like to become an OTDA, you can apply for training at any one of the following OTDA competency-based training programs:
Federation University Driver Assessment and Rehabilitation course (October-December 2022). Contact: Professor Carolyn Unsworth, c.unsworth@federation.edu.au Flinders University Occupational Therapy Driver Assessment and Rehabilitation course (February 2023). Contact: Professor Stacey George, stacey.george@flinders.edu.au Institute of Driver Health Occupational Therapy Driver Assessors course (July 2022). Contact: Beth Cheal, beth@driverhealth.com.au Institute of Driver Health Commercial Vehicle Driver Assessment Rehabilitation course (December 2022). Contact: Beth Cheal, beth@driverhealth.com.au
Use QR code below to link to view the above links
