What is driver rehabilitation?

Driver rehabilitation is a medical discipline, often performed by occupational therapists, physical therapists, or kinesiotherapists. The role of a driver rehabilitation specialist is to explore transportation solutions for drivers with disabilities and medical challenges (aded.net). My goal as a driver rehabilitation specialist is to help an individual get into their community as safely and independently as possible. This may be with driving or a different mode of transportation.

How can you tell if a person needs driver rehabilitation?

Generally speaking, if you have one or more medical conditions that could impact your ability to think (cognition), vision, motor skills, or psychosocial skills, then you may benefit from driver rehabilitation. More specifically, if you have experienced challenges when driving then you would likely benefit from driver rehabilitation. Some examples that someone could experience include hitting the wrong pedal or hitting it too hard/soft, having significant anxiety that causes you to change your route or reduce your driving, getting lost or confused about a familiar area, difficulty reading signs with enough time to respond to them, or multiple accidents.

If the vehicle you or your loved one drives has scratches or dents appear and you/your loved one are unable to recall how they occurred, you likely would benefit from a driver rehabilitation evaluation.

If you or your loved one has attempted driver education, but having difficulty passing or feeling proficient, you may benefit from a driver rehabilitation evaluation.

What is a CDRS?

A Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist (CDRS) is a healthcare professional who has had a specific number of hours of training and experience and has taken a written test to demonstrate proficiency. This is a certification provided by ADED (American Association for Driver Rehabilitation).

Do you accept insurance?

En Route to Independence does not currently accept insurance. However, we will provide a “superbill” with your receipt that you can send to your insurance company to request a reimbursement. You can contact your insurance company to determine how to request a reimbursement. We can also provide you with our common CPT codes and you can ask your insurance provider before our visit if they expect those to be covered. Some services may be covered through programs such as vocational rehabilitation or workers’ compensation when prior authorization has been obtained.

How can I schedule with you?

En Route to Independence requires a referral from your medical provider. This referral must include a diagnosis, medications you are taking, and must have any medical documents relevant to your diagnosis/referral attached.

Please book a free consult to see if we are a good fit for you or your loved one.

Do I need a referral?

Yes. A referral from a licensed healthcare provider is required for comprehensive driving evaluations. This helps ensure that the evaluation addresses your specific medical concerns, provides medical clearance to drive, and allows recommendations to be shared with your healthcare team when appropriate.

Do you provide driver’s education?

No. En Route to Independence is a driver rehabilitation practice, not a traditional driver’s education program. Driver Rehabilitation is designed for individuals whose medical conditions, disabilities, or functional changes may affect driving. We can supplement driver education when appropriate.

What ages do you work with?

We work with teens, young adults, adults, and older adults whose medical conditions or disabilities may affect driving. This includes new drivers with disabilities, experienced drivers returning after illness or injury, older drivers desiring to seek safety, and individuals seeking adaptive driving solutions.

My doctor recommended an evaluation. What is the difference between an evaluation with a CDRS and the Utah Driver License Division?

A CDRS helps people learn to drive as safely and independently as possible with medical conditions or disabilities. The Driver License Division (DLD) decides if someone can legally drive.

A CDRS looks at whether driving is safe and what supports might help. We are trained in driving and medical conditions. A comprehensive evaluation will assess vision, thinking skills, motor skills, and observe driving on the road (if appropriate). We consider how health conditions may affect driving and can recommend equipment when needed. An evaluation usually takes 2-3 hours and includes driving in an evaluation vehicle (with a passenger side brake) and training can be provided, if needed. The evaluation is completed at your home and in your neighborhood. A detailed report will be provided with recommendations. Since this is different than the DLD, you may be required to do a test with the DLD.

The DLD determines if someone meets the legal requirements to get or keep a driver’s license based on a knowledge and driving test completed with a state licensing examiner. They may require a medical form to be completed by your doctor, but have limited understanding of medical conditions. They do not evaluate or provide equipment. They do not provide any training. Most evaluations are 20-30 minutes and the driving is completed in your own vehicle near the DLD. At the end of the evaluation you are provided a score that indicate pass or fail. If you fail, you may have an opportunity to try again on another day. This is free if requested by a doctor.

What happens during a driving evaluation?

A comprehensive driving evaluation typically includes a review of medical history, vision, cognition, physical abilities, reaction time, and an on-road driving assessment. It may also include an on-road assessment with the client as a passenger, especially if they do not have a driving permit.

How long does a driving evaluation take?

Most comprehensive driving evaluations take approximately 2 ½ to 3 hours and include both clinical testing and an on-road assessment. The exact length may vary depending on each individual’s needs.

Can I use my own vehicle?

No. We must use the evaluation vehicle that has an instructor brake and accelerator on the passenger side.

What will happen after an evaluation?

There are 4 potential outcomes of a comprehensive OT driving evaluation. One outcome is that everything is great and you are ready to return to driving, learn driving, or continue driving. Other outcomes could be a recommendation to drive with restrictions, hold off on driving (possibly with driver rehab occupational therapy sessions), or to not drive (stop driving, likely not to be a driver, etc.). If it is determined that it is not safe to drive, we will work together to help find other means of transportation that may work for you.

Where are you located?

En Route to Independence is a mobile driver rehabilitation practice based in northern Utah. Evaluations and training are provided in the communities where clients live whenever possible. Our primary service area includes Salt Lake, Davis, and Weber Counties. We also travel throughout much of Utah, with travel fees applying outside our primary service area. If you're unsure whether we serve your community, please contact us—we're happy to discuss travel options.

Do you work with adaptive driving equipment?

Yes. I evaluate drivers who may benefit from adaptive equipment such as hand controls, left-foot accelerators, steering devices, and other vehicle modifications. I also provide training to help drivers learn to safely use adaptive equipment.

What is the cost of a comprehensive evaluation?

En Route to Independence charges $375 for a full comprehensive evaluation. Please speak with us if you have questions as not all sessions are considered comprehensive evaluations (although many are). There is also a travel fee if you live outside of Salt Lake, Davis, or Weber counties.