I have had the opportunity and pleasure to be able to provide clinical supervision about driving and vehicle modifications to my team, and also multiple driving OTs across the country.
It is really wonderful to hear their stories about how they were able to reflect, implement suggestions, and get great results with their clients.
Common questions and discussion points:
- Supporting new OTDAs with all the ins-and-outs of QLD medical licensing processes and driving and vehicle mods network
- Exploring return to driving with vehicle mods for a lady with FND
- Supporting general OTs and new driving OTs with vehicle mods prescription, process and application
- When to remove an “X” condition or restriction from a med cert
- Implementing the potential to drive assessment
- Providing pre-driving skills therapy and levelling up skills and challenges
- Clinical reasoning – outcome of potential to drive assessment based on summary of results
- First driving and vehicle mods application – documentation needed
- Scoring and interpretation of the Beery VMI
Often the OTDA already knows what to do and just needs to reflect this and talk it through.
Top 3 feedbacks:
- Taylor was working with a learner driver who not engaging well with driving therapy, and getting distracted. I shared some tricks that had worked with one of my young fellows: create buy-in – I’m here to try to help you achieve your goal; link to his goal – we need to be able to attend when we are driving; be specific in telling him how long I need you to work for; let him know what done looks like, bribery with a frozen coke when out on the road doing passenger activities might also go a long way. Taylor implemented these strategies with her client, and saw huge improvements in his participation and performance, and more importantly this had carryover into his driving lessons.
- Jacinta had a complex vehicle mod situation, where the client had a fatigue element to her condition (but had excellent cognitive function and self regulation skills), and was also the primary carer for her ageing father. I provided feedback on the approach to assessment, and the approach with the vehicle mods application – really spelling out value for money and the cost savings that the vehicle mods would generate, in comparison to maxi taxis, and explaining that her condition was stable and these mods met the “whole of task completion” and were sustainable for her condition. The application was approved first go with no questions. Winner!
- Zoe: had sisters with the same medical condition, both using a combination of electric and manual wheelchairs, and wanting to purchase vehicle together, to use it individually and shared – mainly to visit their family and go to music festivals and do their standup comedy acts. How do you get two wheelchairs into a vehicle to travel safely?? There were so many considerations with fit of wheelchairs, preferences to use (or not use!) headrests, and making sure that clearance zones were all kept intact. After lots of info gathering, several tries, and checks with the vehicle modifiers, the solution was a lowered floor conversion to a Hyundai Staria (with two wheelchair positions) through Freedom Motors, which was approved and has all been completed. Such a complex situation, with a really great outcome.
I love supporting OTs with their development in this space. Together we achieve some pretty amazing things.
If you are a driving OT or a general OT working with clients in this space, and need a hand – please reach out and we can book a session together.
