By Carolyn A. Unsworth, PhD, OTR, AccOT, with Julie F. Pallant, BA(Hons), PhD; Kay J. Russell, BOccThy, AccOT, OTR; and Morris Odell, MB, BS, FRACGP, DMJ, FFFLM
As the population ages and more people with disabilities seek to drive, occupational therapists will increasingly need to address this instrumental activity of daily living with their clients. The OT–DORA Battery is a unique, user-friendly, and convenient collection of assessments that allows efficient evaluation of an individual’s cognitive, perceptual, behavioral, physical, and sensory skills and abilities that are related to driving, prior to an on-road assessment. The OT–DORA also offers the ability to screen clients who are unsafe to take an on-road assessment.
Done easily in a clinical setting, without driving simulators or taking the client on-road, the OT–DORA Battery allows practitioners to, with minimal risk and expense, find clients’ strengths and weaknesses and pinpoint areas on which to focus during rehabilitation. The manual describes how the OT–DORA was developed, summarizes research to support its use, and details instructions on how to administer the Battery with clients. A flash drive contains downloadable and writable versions of the administration and client response booklets for use in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
Sections of the assessment include—
- Initial Interview
- Medical History
- Medication Screen
- Sensory Assessments—for communication and hearing, vision, and proprioception
- Physical Assessments—for motor skills, balance, and endurance
- Cognitive Assessments
- Summary of Issues
- Further Assessments.
The OT–DORA Battery can be administered by generalist and specialist occupational therapists as well as by other health professionals with specialized training, experience, and certification in driver assessment, as well as by driver rehabilitation professionals with specialized training in determining how health-related changes can affect performance skills and elicit patterns that may compromise driving ability.
Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Administration Guide
Chapter 3. OT-DORA Battery Administration Booklet
Chapter 4. OT-DORA Battery Client Response Booklet--United States and Canada
Chapter 5. OT-DORA Battery Client Response Booklet--United Kingdom and Australia
978-1-56900-321-3, 104 pages, 2011