Outcomes from a Driving and Community Mobility Intervention Designed for Novice Drivers with Autism from the Perspective of the Participants and Their Parents.

To examine change in driving and community mobility outcomes for teens and young adults with autism as a result of participating in an occupational therapy intervention designed as a Bootcamp as perceived by the participants and their parents. Matched questionnaires were completed by novice drivers with autism as well as their parents prior to and immediately after the intervention. The intervention consisted of a 5-day (32 h) intervention using interactive driving simulators, role playing, and highly interactive learning experiences.

Establishing the Predictive Validity of the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills for Driving Performance Outcomes.

Importance: Although the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) is an excellent tool for evaluating the functional performance of instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), a limited number of studies have used the AMPS for decisions regarding the IADL of fitness to drive and community mobility.

Objective: To determine the specificity and sensitivity of the AMPS as a tool for determining a person's fitness to drive.

Design: Cross-sectional observational design.

Long COVID Brain Fog Treatment: Findings from a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Constraint-Induced Cognitive Therapy.

Purpose: Long COVID brain fog is often disabling. Yet, no empirically-supported treatments exist. This study's objectives were to evaluate feasibility and efficacy, provisionally, of a new rehabilitation approach, Constraint-Induced Cognitive Therapy (CICT), for post-COVID-19 cognitive sequelae.

A Systematic Review of Effective Interventions and Strategies to Support the Transition of Older Adults From Driving to Driving Retirement/Cessation.

Background And Objectives: In most western countries, older adults depend on private cars for transportation and do not proactively plan for driving cessation. The objective of this review was to examine current research studies outlining effective interventions and strategies to assist older adults during their transition from driver to driving retirement or cessation.

Research Design And Methods: A search was completed across 9 databases using key words and MeSH terms for drivers, cessation of driving, and older adult drivers.

A Comparison of Night Hazard Detection between Younger and Older Drivers under Driving Simulation and Real-World Conditions.

''Using eye-tracking technology, this study examined hazard detection at night. Using a 2 (younger versus older) x 2 (simulator versus on road) repeated-measures mixed design, 16 older adults and 17 younger adults drove their own vehicle and on a driving simulator under nighttime conditions wearing eye tracking technology. Both driving conditions had three roadway hazards of pedestrians looking at their cell phone while posed to cross the roadway.

Effectiveness of a Driving and Community Mobility Intervention for Teens and Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Importance: Driving and community mobility (DCM) is key to supporting independence in teens and young adults (TYA) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Objective: To determine whether an intervention focused on DCM can effectively improve DCM knowledge and skills in TYA.

Design: A pretest-posttest design using the same intervention and outcome measures.

The Impact of Age, Sex, and Position on Visual-Motor Processing Speed and Reaction Time as Measured by the Vision Coach.

Occupational therapists are in a unique position to screen and evaluate fitness to drive with both visual-motor processing speed and reaction time being important factors to consider when determining fitness to drive. This study uses the Vision Coach to investigate the differences in visual-motor processing speed and reaction time across age and sex of healthy adults. It also explores whether the position of sitting or standing made any difference.

Visual-Motor Processing Speed and Reaction Time Differences between Medically-At-Risk Drivers and Healthy Controls.

This cross-sectional study compared visual-motor processing speed and reaction times between medically-at-risk drivers and normal controls to determine if the time in seconds distinguished between drivers who pass, fail, or need restrictions based on a road test. The medically-at-risk drivers' data (N = 35, 28-89 years) were collected as part of a comprehensive driving evaluation and coded by diagnosis (e.g.

Driving Performance of Experienced Young Adult Drivers with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder While Listening to Music on Two Scenarios: Hazards versus Wayfinding.

This study explored the effect of music on the driving performance of experienced young adult drivers with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using an interactive driving simulator with two types of scenarios. A 2 (Group: autism/neurotypical) × 2 (Music: music/no music) × 2 (Scenario: hazards/wayfinding) factorial design was used with the order of scenarios and music conditions counterbalanced. Participants were 34 neurotypical drivers and 5 drivers with ASD, all with at least 3 years of driving experience.

Comparing Component-Based and Occupation-Based Interventions of a Person with Visual Deficits' Performance.

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of component-based, occupation-based, and a combined intervention for visual-scanning to improve occupational performance. This exploratory case study used a 55-year-old female, seven years post-stroke with visual field deficits, who completed a component-based intervention (), an occupation-based intervention (IADL activities that incorporated scanning tasks), and a combined intervention. The Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) was completed prior to and after each intervention.

Use of GPS for Older Adults to Decrease Driving Risk: Perceptions from Users and Non-Users.

Community mobility is important for social participation and quality of life. Thus, it is important to sustain older adults in their communities by supporting their ability to drive as long as possible. Use of global positioning system (GPS) technology may provide such support.

Teaching older drivers to navigate GPS technology.

Background And Objectives: New technologies are being implemented in motor vehicles. One key technology is the electronic navigation system (ENS) that assists the driver in wayfinding, or actually guides the vehicle in higher level automation vehicles. It is unclear how older adults interact with ENSs and the best approach to train older adults to use the devices.

Driving difficulties as reported by older drivers with mild cognitive impairment and without neurological impairment.

Considerable evidence indicates that medical conditions prevalent among older individuals lead to impairments in visual, cognitive, or psychomotor functions needed to drive safely. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors determining driving difficulties as seen from the viewpoint of 30 older drivers with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 30 age-matched controls without cognitive impairment. Perceptions of driving difficulties from both groups were examined using data from an extensive questionnaire.

Driving Decisions: Distinguishing Evaluations, Providers and Outcomes.

Driving is a highly valued instrumental activity of daily living on which many older adults depend for access to their community. The demand to address driving is changing as older adults experience increasing longevity while facing medical conditions that often affect their fitness to drive. As one of the most complex of daily tasks, driving is a multifaceted issue that involves the older driver, family members, state licensing and health care practitioners.

Driving while navigating: On-road driving performance using GPS or printed instructions.

Background.: Route navigation is a high-level skill and requires intact executive functioning to successfully find one's way while driving in unfamiliar environments.

Purpose.

Transportation and Aging: An Updated Research Agenda for Advancing Safe Mobility.

This article discusses what is currently known about three important topics related to older driver safety and mobility: screening and evaluation, education and training interventions, and in-vehicle technology. Progress is being made to improve the safe mobility of older adults in these key areas; however, significant research gaps remain. This article advances the state of knowledge by identifying these gaps, and proposing further research topics will improve the lives of older adults.

Transportation and Aging: An Updated Research Agenda to Advance Safe Mobility among Older Adults Transitioning From Driving to Non-driving.

Engagement in civic, social, and community life plays an important role in health, well-being, and quality of life, and requires individuals to be mobile in their environment. In this article, we review what is currently known about 2 areas relevant to safe mobility for older drivers and identify future research in these areas. Using a framework for transportation and safe mobility, 2 key areas were selected for review: the process of transitioning to non-driving and the maintenance of mobility after driving has ceased.

Simulator Measures and Identification of Older Drivers With Mild Cognitive Impairment.

This study examined whether a sign recall task on a driving simulator, self-report of driving ability, or age predicted differences in performance between drivers with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and control participants. For the dependent measure, gathered using a driving simulator, working memory was subjected to interference at varying levels of driving task demands. Reliable between-groups differences in sign recall accuracy were demonstrated; recall declined under higher task demands.

Driving Rehabilitation Specialists' Perspectives on Older Driver Evaluations.

Objective: We explored driving rehabilitation specialists' (DRSs') perspectives on older driver evaluations.

Method: We conducted interviews with 26 DRSs across the United States who evaluate older drivers. Transcript analysis followed general inductive techniques to identify themes related to current systems and barriers to use.

Typical Brake Reaction Times Across the Life Span.

This paper provides average brake reaction times for healthy community living adults from 16 to 90+ years of age, divided by gender. Using consistent directions and context, the RT-2S Simple Brake Reaction shows that average brake reactions for males is 0.50 seconds (median = 0.

Improving Functional Outcomes for Vascular Amputees Through Use of Mirror Therapy and Elimination of the Effects of Electromagnetic Fields.

The objective of this pilot study was to investigate the effectiveness of combining an amputee limb cover to eliminate the effects of electromagnetic fields (i.e., pain) and a Mirror Therapy exercise program to improve functional outcomes for vascular amputees.