Driver Assessment and Rehabilitation course
The Driver Assessment and Rehabilitation course trains occupational therapists from all over Australia to work as occupational therapy driver assessors (OTDAs). The course consists of seminars and practical classes and participants learn the practice procedures for off-road and on-road assessments and driver rehabilitation. On-road assessments are conducted in cars with dual controls with simulated patients and driving instructors. Participants from all states and territories can participate in the course. For Victorian participants, only occupational therapists who have completed a driver assessment training course can have their reports and recommendation recognised by VicRoads. This course has been running continually since 1986 and is one of the oldest in the world. It is also a very popular course given the intensive opportunity to develop and practice skills on-road with simulated clients and an expert supervisor.
Aims
Participants who successfully complete the two-week equivalent course will:
- Be qualified to conduct assessments of functionally impaired drivers,
- Be equipped with the skills to establish a driver assessment program,
- Be able to maximise the potential for independent vehicle mobility for a person with a disability, and
- Have an understanding of their role and responsibilities in this area of practice.
Educators
Our team of expert educators in Melbourne and Sydney includes licensing authority staff, police, vision specialists and occupational therapy driver assessors:
- Robin Lovell (Vic)
- Carolyn Unsworth (Vic)
- Judy Shepherd (Vic)
- Kay Russell (Vic)
- Dianne Cooper Nolan (Vic)
- Meg Marmo (Vic)
- Jacinta Buzzacott (Vic)
- Lyndall Cook (NSW)
- Michelle Turnbull (NSW)
- Jenny Wise (NSW)
- Trinity Glendenning (NSW)
Course advantage
- Online education followed by a week of face-to-face experience with individualised tuition from expert driver assessors in vehicles with real clients.
- Our educators are expert clinicians and researchers, with national and international renown in the area.
- Learn to become an occupational therapy driver assessor with experts who wrote the national competency standards for driver assessors and who have all been working in the area for between 15 and 35 years.
Admission requirements
Open to all AHPRA-registered occupational therapists with a minimum of 2-years clinical experience.
Upcoming courses
Registrations for the 2024 course have now closed.
Further information
Please contact Professor Carolyn Unsworth via email at c.unsworth@federation.edu.au