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Driving and Community Mobility Reflection




Amber Truhitt 

 What were the key takeaway points from the guest lecture today? 

 I had little experience with driving assessments and interventions prior to today's lecture and lab.  It was very beneficial to go through the common diagnoses that will have functional needs that you must take into consideration when considering their ability to drive.  I got to learn more about and practice using different driving assessment tools including the Trail Making Tests A & B, MoCA, and SIMARD-MD.  I learned about different adaptations that can be made to help clients have the ability to drive.  These can range from something as simple as an enlarged rear view mirror to adaptation to vehicles, such as hand controls and lifts.  I believe all of the information that was presented will be useful in the future, regardless of the setting that I choose to work in.    

Describe two occupational therapy interventions based on the topic. Each intervention should address a different type of client: individual (1:1), group, or population.
One intervention that could be done individually is to work on transferring to and from a vehicle.  This could be done using the client's vehicle, a vehicle model in the clinic, or even mats in the clinic. This is a very important skill to master for clients who plan to transfer into and out of vehicles, as it is one of the first steps to driving.  

An occupational therapist could also do screenings in the community, such as at a senior center, to target those at risk of unsafe driving.  This could help identify those who may need intervention or further assessment to determine if should be able to continue to drive.  This could also be an opportunity to review safe driving practices with this population.   

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