Assessment and intervention processes for clients with driving-related concerns

This 60-minute course examines the critical roles of occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists in supporting driving and community mobility needs.

* To get limited sale price

Susie Touchinsky
OTR/L, SCDCM, CDRS, Owner Adaptive Mobility Services, LLC

Date of Webinar:

February 26, 2025

Get more
information

Want to know more? Enter your information to
learn more about this course from ReadySetConnect.

Course Description

This 60-minute course examines the critical roles of occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists in supporting driving and community mobility needs. It highlights the distinction between the responsibilities of primary practitioners and those of Occupational Therapy Driver Rehabilitation Specialists (OT-DRS).

Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how each discipline contributes to the assessment and intervention process for clients with driving-related concerns. The course also offers practical strategies for conducting screenings, making timely referrals to driver rehabilitation specialists, and effectively communicating with clients about driving safety and mobility within clinical practice.

Speaker Biography

Susie Touchinsky, OTR/L, SCDCM, CDRS is an occupational therapist and certified driver rehabilitation specialist who has achieved her Specialty Certification in Driving and Community Mobility from the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and her Certification as a Driver Rehabilitation Specialist from the Association of Driver Rehabilitation Specialists (ADED). Susie offers extensive clinical and professional knowledge with over 20 years of experience as an OT & driver rehabilitation specialist. While she started her career at Johns Hopkins Hospital, she now owns and operates her own private driver rehabilitation practice, Adaptive Mobility Services, LLC.

In her practice, she evaluates and treats drivers with medical conditions impacting cognitive, motor, and visual skills. She works closely with her drivers and their families to help determine the highest and safest level of engagement in mobility. Susie also is the leading educator for occupational therapy practitioners entering the field of driver rehabilitation. She is an active volunteer, a published author, adjunct professor, lecturer, & mentor.

Learning Objectives

Describe the distinct roles of occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists in addressing driving and community mobility needs, including the unique contributions of the OT Driver Rehabilitation Specialist (OT-DRS).
Apply practical strategies to screen clients for driving-related concerns and identify when referrals to driver rehabilitation specialists are appropriate.
Demonstrate effective communication techniques to discuss driving safety and mobility concerns with clients, fostering collaborative and informed decision-making in clinical practice.

Target Audience: Webinar is suitable for

Occupational Therapists
Occupational Therapy Assistants
Physical therapist
Physical therapy assistants
Speech therapists
speech therapy assistants

Program Flow with minutes

Introduction (5 min)
Proposed Agenda: Meaning of Driving & Role of Rehab (5 minutes)
Screening Tools & Assessment (10-15 minutes)
Driving Risk Assessment Resources (5 minutes)
Recommendations & Documentation (5 minutes)
Respective multidisciplinary Team Members (30 minutes)
Supporting Driving Retirement (5 minutes)
Free Resources & Key Points
Closing

Course Duration:

1.30 Hour

Financial Disclosures

None

Non-Financial Disclosures

None

Previous presentations, professional accomplishments

Establishing the Predictive Validity of the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills for Driving Performance Outcomes.
AJOT American Journal of Occupational Therapy September/October 2024, Vol. 78(5), 7805205040. Authors: Anne E. Dickerson, Qiang Wu, Helen Houston, Therese Cassidy, Susan Touchinsky. doi: https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2024.050687

Practice Skills for Physical Dysfunction
Pedretti’s Occupational Therapy, 9th Edition
Editors: Heidi McHugh Pendleton & Winifred Schultz-Krohn August 2024, edited by Karen Jacobs, EdD, OT, OTR, CPE, FAOTA, & Guy McCormick, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA. Susan Touchinsky contributing author for Chapter 11: Mobility.

Perceptions of Effectiveness and Usage of Driving Simulators as a Tool in Driving Rehabilitation Pending publication review. 3rd draft with revisions submitted to OT in HealthCare.
Authors: Mary Culshaw, Brenna Curley, and Susan Touchinsky.

OT Manager, 6th Edition
AOTA Press: July 2019, edited by Karen Jacobs, EdD, OT, OTR, CPE, FAOTA, & Guy McCormick, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA. Susan Touchinsky Author for Chapter 14: Building Capacity

Embracing the Future: Exploring Technology Applications for Driver Rehabilitation
Kate Lopez, OTR/L, CDRS & Susie Touchinsky, OTR/L, SCDCM, CDRS
Saturday, October 5, 2024. 7.0 hours live.
2024 ADED Conference, Kansas City, Missouri

Driving & Dementia
New Jersey Alzheimer’s Association – Specialists Series.
September 25, 2024. Virtual. 1 hour.

Penn Memory – Empowering Caregivers Series. October 27, 2023. Virtual. 1 hour.

Clinical Reasoning for Complex Vehicle Modifications
Adaptive Mobility Services CE Workshop in Collaboration with the Driver Rehabilitation Center of Excellence and Hosted by BraunAbility Susan Touchinsky, OTR/L, SCDCM, CDRS with Tammy Phipps, Trista Windows, Cassy Churchill
August 1 & 2, 8am to 5pm (16 hours AOTA; 14 hours ADED), Winamac, Indiana

AOTA Specialty Conference Entrepreneurship: Exploring the Pathway to Becoming an OT Driver Rehabilitation Specialist and Starting Your Own Private Practice
Susan Touchinsky, OTR/L, SCDCM, CDRS
June 25, 2024 – 11am to 12pm (1 hour) virtual
Available through AOTA ongoing publication https://myaota.aota.org/shop_aota/product/OL8700

Adaptive Mobility: Take the Wheel Workshop (Part 2: OT Driver Rehabilitation Specialist Training)
15 hours online, 20 hours hands-on. Susan Touchinsky, OTR/L, SCDCM, CDRS

Driving Champion Workshop
Contributing presenter Susan Touchinsky, OTR/L with Elin Schol-Davis, OTR/L, CDRS
Genesis Rehab Services, Kennett Square, PA March 14 & 15, 2011

Dementia & Driving Poster Presentation
Presented by Susan Touchinsky, OTR/L & Christine Haussner, OTR/L Genesis Dementia Summit, June 4 & 5, 2010
Philadelphia, PA

Dementia & Driving Presentation
Presented by Susan Touchinsky, OTR/L, Dementia Special Interest Group, Adobe March 2010

“At the Crossroads: Dementia & Driving”
Presented by Susan Touchinsky, OTR/L, AOTA Older Driver Safety Awareness Week 2009, Kirkland Village, PA December 7, 2009, Southampton Estates, PA December 11, 2009

Environment: The Silent Partner
Presented by Susan Touchinsky, OTR/L & Patricia Sherwin, OTR/L Webinar, July 1, 2009, Webinar, March 18, 2009

Unseen Diagnoses: Mental Illness and Driving
Presented at Association for Driving Rehabilitation Specialist Conference August 2004

Current Professional Affiliations (state and national affiliations)

Professional Memberships Association for Driving Rehabilitation Specialists (ADED) Member 2003 to 2005, 2012 to present.
ADED Ad Hoc/Government Committee 2017 to present.
ADED Leadership Development Committee 2022-present.
ADED Publication Committee 2016 to 12/31/2020.
ADED DRP Curriculum Development Committee 2016 to 2019.
American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Member, 1998 to present.
Contributor Gaps & Pathways Project, 2013 to present.
Community of Practice: Fitness to Drive, Co-Chair March 2018 to December 2022.
CarFit Advisory Committee 2021-present.
Momentum Summit 2021-present
American Occupational Therapy Association Specialty Certification Panel Review Board member October 2012 to 2020.
National Mobility Equipment Dealership Association (NMEDA)
March 2025 Board – Allied Health Board Member
CAMS committee revision 2022 to 2024.