ADED eLearning

Applied Vehicle Modifications Beyond the Basics| Attendance is limited.
Jill Sclease, CTRS, CDRS
Learning Level: Introductory | Contact Hours: 14 hours

This course is designed for driver rehabilitation specialists with experience seeking to advance their skills and expand their expertise in adaptive driving solutions. Building on foundational knowledge, participants will explore assessment and prescription strategies for adaptive driving equipment and specialized vehicle modifications for intricate cases.  This course delves into multifactorial decision-making for equipment selection, customization, and fitting for drivers with diverse needs, simple and/or complex. Participants will examine case scenarios, refine clinical decision-making for equipment selection and fitting, and strengthen collaboration strategies with mobility equipment dealers and vehicle modifiers to ensure independence, best-fit outcomes, optimal performance, and safety.

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze vehicle and adaptive equipment fitting techniques to ensure client-centered outcomes and optimize driver performance and safety.
• Critically evaluate the taxonomy and classification frameworks guiding driver rehabilitation and vehicle modification practices.
• Evaluate advanced principles and clinical reasoning processes guiding adaptive driving equipment selection.
• Examine advanced principles of adaptive equipment selection, balancing client needs, vehicle dynamics, technological capabilities and safety.
• Evaluate equipment selection through critical comparison of adaptive driving systems and modification options for complex driver profiles.
• Analyze and apply multifactorial principles for selecting, integrating, and customizing primary and secondary driving control systems based on individual functional profiles.
• Enhance necessary skills for adaptive vehicle prescription writing and documentation.
• Discuss application of the Best Practice Guidelines, Code of Ethics and Recommended Practices for Driver Rehabilitation & Vehicle Modifications Guidelines for Vocational Rehabilitation with respect to vehicle adaptations and selection of equipment.
• Review standards and resources applicable to vehicle modifications.

Workshop A | Evaluating Driving Across Dementia Subtypes: Research and Clinical Insight
Nikki Simmons, OT, CDRS
Learning Level: Introductory | Contact Hours: 7 hours

Driving safety and fitness-to-drive decisions in individuals with dementia present complex clinical challenges. This presentation reviews current research on cognitive decline and behavioral changes across major dementia subtypes, including Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia, as well as driving performance. Evidence-based assessment tools and on-road evaluation tools will be discussed, examining how distinct symptom profiles influence driving outcomes. Practical guidance will be provided to help clinicians determine when to conduct behind-the-wheel assessments and when driving cessation should be recommended. Participants will gain an understanding of the latest research findings and their application to real-world clinical decision-making, supporting both safety and autonomy for individuals living with dementia.

Learning Objectives: 

• Differentiate key clinical features and driving-related behaviors among major dementia subtypes, including Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia.
• Identify evidence-based clinical assessments appropriate for evaluating drivers across different dementia types.
• Interpret current research findings on driving performance, driving error patterns, and safety outcomes across dementia types.
• Apply clinical reasoning to determine when to recommend behind-the-wheel assessments versus driving cessation.
• Integrate research and functional assessment results to support client-centered, ethical decision-making in driving rehabilitation practice.

Workshop B | Demystifying research: Tools to engage in driver rehabilitation research

Emily Haffner, CScD, MOT, OTRL, CDRS | Peggy Barco, OTD, OTR/L, CDRS, FAOTA | Maria   Schultheis, PhD | Valerie Neira ,OTR, OTD
Learning Level: Intermediate | Contact Hours: 7 hours

Driver rehabilitation specialists have expressed a need for additional evidence to support their practice as well as a desire to participate in advancing driver rehabilitation research (World Cafe event,  ADED Conference 2025). There is a need to make research more accessible to support the engagement of driver rehabilitation specialists. This workshop will make research more accessible by breaking down the research process into practical steps and providing resources and tools to help initiate participation in research activities. Topics addressed during the workshop will include: introduction to research concepts and designs, understanding and applying evidence, identifying a research topic, funding, and collaborators, and the steps in the research process. Attendees will apply knowledge learned during the workshop by participating in small group activities and discussions lead by the presenters. Real examples from driver rehabilitation literature will be used to demonstrate and apply concepts learned throughout the workshop. The presenters will end with a panel discussion sharing real world examples of participating in driving research projects.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the role implementation research has in bridging the gap between evidence and practice, including how it informs the adoption, adaptation, and sustainability of evidence-based practice in real world settings.
• Identify, locate, and review driving rehabilitation research articles to determine their relevance and applicability to real-world practice.
• Recognize research team roles and develop plans for collaborative partnerships that enhance driving rehabilitation research.
• Gain the ability to develop driving rehabilitation questions, generate study ideas, and identify feasible funding sources for their project.

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