Presenter
Jake Davis, B.S., OT/S
Document Type
Poster
Publication Date
2024
Abstract
Driving is a cornerstone to an individual's independence and allows for participation in a number of occupations including work, leisure, and social participation. There is an overwhelming need for off-road driving screenings in Rhode Island that is not currently being met. This project aimed to address this community gap by providing off-road driving screenings. Six individuals were included in the project with various diagnoses including autism and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), intellectual disability, developmental delay, non-verbal learning disorder (NVLD), anxiety disorder, and stroke. To conduct the off-road driving screenings, the Occupational Therapy Driver Off-Road Assessment Battery (OT-DORA) and a driving simulator were used. Both the OT-DORA and the driving simulator provide a vast amount of information about an individual's ability to safely operate a vehicle. However, the gold standard for understanding fitness to drive is an on-the-road evaluation. Individuals participated in 2-3 sessions utilizing the OT-DORA and scenarios on the driving simulator at Johnson & Wales College of Health & Wellness. At the conclusion of the screening sessions recommendations were made for each individual to either continue to on-the-road driving instruction, begin rules of the road classes, or to explore community mobility options.
Faculty Mentor
Andrea D. Fairman, Ph.D., MOT, OTR/L, ATP, DRP
Academic Discipline
College of Health & Wellness
Repository Citation
Davis, Jake, "Use of Driving Simulation in Off-Road Screenings" (2024). Student Research Design & Innovation Symposium. 123.
https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/innov_symposium/123