Driver rehabilitation is a specialized area of occupational therapy that helps someone regain independence in the area of driving after experiencing an acute or traumatic injury, illness, or disability.

People who benefit from driver rehab may have impairments in the strength or motion of their legs and/or arms. They may also have cognitive issues, sensory issues or vision concerns that impact their driving capabilities. Individuals who are often candidates for driver rehab may have diagnoses such as stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, lower extremity amputations,  Anxiety, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sensory or Perceptual Challenges or any other conditions that may impact driving. 

Driving a car safely and with competence is a complex skill that requires time to learn and master. It not only requires the driver to operate the controls within the vehicle but also challenges our skills in vision and visual perception, looking and thinking ahead,  decision making, remaining calm under pressure, remembering road rules and signs and signals,  blocking out unnecessary distractions, managing fatigue and anxiety and multi tasking to name a few.  Some learner drivers need extra time to acquire and become confident in deploying these skills when faced with the exciting prospect of being on the road.

Rehabilitation driving instructors have completed specialist training to instruct and teach drivers with extra needs. Before undertaking lessons with a Rehabilitation driving instructor, clients must complete an Occupational Therapy Assessment with a driver trained OT. This assessment consists of both an on and off road component and examines how your medical condition or injury may impact your driving ability. Learner drivers on the NDIS wanting to access specialised driving lessons must complete this process prior to undertaking lessons with a specialist driving instructor. Please contact us for details on OT Driving Assessors in your area.