Case Study of Driving Readiness: Comparing a Teen with ADHD/ASD to a Healthy Control

The University of Florida is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. Course approval ID# 5208. This distance learning is offered at .1 CEUs, intermediate educational level, category 1 – Domain of OT – Occupations/ IADL, category 2 – Occupational Therapy Process – Occupational performance. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.

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Instructor

Miriam Monahan

Miriam Monahan OTD, OTR/L CDRS, LDI

Adjunct Scholar

Dr. Miriam Monahan is an occupational therapist who has worked in the field of driver rehabilitation since 1998 as an educator and clinician, and is recognized for her clinical knowledge, intervention, and teaching skills in this area. She is a certified driver rehabilitation specialist (CDRS) and licensed driving school instructor (LDI). She has extensive experience with teen and novice drivers with special needs, drivers with neurological conditions, as well as senior drivers. She is well versed in adaptive equipment from low tech to high tech as well as van modifications. She has been an adjunct professor at the University of Florida Certificate in Driver Rehabilitation Therapy Program, a consultant at SmartDriver, a business owner, and a practicing clinician. Her research and scholarly work focuses on assessment and interventions to assist drivers with neurological conditions.

In this course, readiness to drive is assessed for a teen with a dual diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) compared to a healthy control, using indicators such as medical history, clinical testing, life skills, and simulated driving performance results. Using this case study and a decision tree, the presenter interprets how these indicators can guide a therapist to determine readiness for driving. The course also explores how to prepare teens, not yet ready to drive, for independence in community mobility and future driving.

Target Audience

This course is well-suited for occupational therapists and certified driving rehabilitation specialists with a special interest in teen pre-drivers, including teens with ADHD and ASD.

Educational Level

Intermediate: Information is geared to practitioners with a general working knowledge of rehabilitation and service delivery. Focus is on a basic understanding and application of the subject matter.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, learners will be able to:

  • Recognize the characteristics of ADHD/ASD in teens and how they may potentially impact driving performance.
  • Report the characteristics of teen drivers at large and how those may potentially impact driving performance.
  • Identify clinical predictors of simulated driving performance.
  • Conceptualize the underlying cognitive, visual, visual-perceptual and motor performance deficits associated with specific driving errors, ADLs and I-ADLs at home and in the community.
  • Define and use a decision tree to make a readiness to drive recommendation.

AOTA Classification Codes

  • Category 1: Domain of OT – Occupations/ IADL
  • Category 2: Occupational Therapy Process – Occupational performance

Completion Requirements

0.1 AOTA CEUs (1 Contact Hour for State of Florida Occupational Therapy practitioners) will be awarded upon a successful completion of a multiple choice post-test. Participants will be able to print a certificate of completion after completing a short course evaluation in addition to the post-test.

Disclosure Statement

Instructors have stated that they have received support from the UF and Shand’s Quasi‐Endowment Fund.

Instructional Methods

One (1) hour course during which the learner will view a streaming video presentation, reference PowerPoint® slides. To complete course and earn credits, learner must pass a 10-question multiple choice post-test with a score of 70% or higher.

Contributor

Sherrilene Classen

Sherrilene Classen PhD

Professor And Chair