Driving Well Occupational Therapy

08/04/2026

I recently chatted with Cathy Love in her podcast for Allied Health Business Owners. We talked all things business, allied health, disability sector, niche services, what we do at Driving Well OT. Some exciting things coming up too! Catch the full episode on https://nacre.com.au/podcast-innovative-occupational-therapy-driving-assessments-and-business-resilience

20/02/2026

🎉 Happy Birthday Amanda! 🎂
We’re so lucky to have you on our team – your kindness, dedication, and genuine care for the families you support makes such a difference every single day.
Wishing you a birthday filled with love, laughter, and well-deserved celebration. We hope the year ahead brings you lots of joy
Have the best day!

30/01/2026

📣 Registrations are open

We’re excited to welcome Dr Miriam Monahan for a live Potential to Drive update webinar for driver-trained OTs.

This session will explore updated evidence, clinical reasoning, and contemporary practice in supporting learners with disability.

🗓 Friday 27 February 2026
⏰ 9:00–11:30am (QLD)
🔗 https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1523496

Early booking encouraged — diaries fill fast.

Driving Well OT is hosting a RESEARCH UPDATE webinar for OT Driver Assessors. This workshop is designed for occupational therapy driver...

29/01/2026

Many people don’t realise that driver-trained occupational therapists can assess and support learner and pre-learner drivers with disability.

The Potential to Drive approach was created specifically to help explore:
👉whether impairment may impact driving
👉what supports could help
👉and when it’s safest to proceed (or pause)

It’s about safety, confidence, and better outcomes — not rushing.

More education coming soon.

28/01/2026

A reminder for families supporting a learner driver 💛

Driving is one of the most complex things a person does — and for some learners, starting outside the car is just as important as time behind the wheel.

Building skills like:
✔️ routines
✔️ scanning
✔️ emotional regulation
✔️ coping with mistakes
can make learning safer and more successful in the long run.

You’re not behind — you’re building foundations 🚗✨

27/01/2026

How do you know if someone actually has the potential to learn to drive? 🚗

For many learners with autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability, driving isn’t just about practice time — it’s about attention, judgement, emotional regulation, and learning safely.

The Potential to Drive approach helps identify what supports are needed (and whether driving is appropriate right now), before people are put under pressure or at risk.

We’ll be unpacking this in our upcoming webinar with Dr Miriam Monahan.
🗓 Friday 27 February
⏰ 9:00–11:30am (QLD)
🔗

Driving Well OT is hosting a RESEARCH UPDATE webinar for OT Driver Assessors. This workshop is designed for occupational therapy driver...

23/01/2026

Behind the scenes at Driving Well OT this week 👋

We’re back into a busy clinical rhythm already — supporting clients and families to work towards safe, meaningful driving outcomes.

Jenny has been participating in Michelle Bihary's supervision course this week, to help her hone her skills when providing supervision to driver-trained OTs.

We’ll be sharing more resources, insights, and training opportunities as 2026 unfolds 🚗✨ (And if you’re new here — welcome! 💛)

22/01/2026

A quick tip for families supporting a learner driver (especially neurodivergent learners) 🚗💛

Before you even start driving lessons, it can help to build skills in smaller steps, like:
🟡 sitting in the driver’s seat and learning the controls
🟡 practising routines (mirrors, indicators, scanning)
🟡 planning how to stay calm when things feel stressful
🟡 learning how to recognise overload and take a break

Driving isn’t just a physical task — it’s attention, judgement, emotional regulation, and decision-making.

Small steps = big progress over time ✨
Follow along for more practical strategies and resources.

21/01/2026

Something we wish more people knew 💛

Many parents (and even many general OTs!) don’t realise there are driver-trained occupational therapists who can support learner and pre-learner drivers with:
✅ autism
✅ ADHD
✅ mild intellectual disability
…and other conditions that may impact driving.

The Potential to Drive approach helps us understand whether there are barriers related to a person’s condition that might affect driving, and what supports could help them work towards learning safely.

We’ve created lots of resources for families and professionals — blogs, articles, and programs.

👉 Explore our resources here:
https://www.drivingwell.com.au/insights

If you’ve got questions, feel free to ask — we’re always happy to help 🚗✨

Welcome to my blog where my goal is to share useful information and personal insights into the world of a Driver Trained Occupational Therapist.

20/01/2026

A reminder for 2026 🚗✨

Driving isn’t just steering and pedals.

It’s one of the most complex everyday tasks a person can do.

It involves attention, judgement, visual scanning, emotional regulation, and decision-making — all at speed, with real safety consequences.

That’s why driving is a privilege, and why the right support at the right time matters so much — especially for learners with autism, ADHD, anxiety, or other challenges.
You don’t have to figure it out alone 💛

16/01/2026

Is 2026 the year driving becomes possible? 🚗✨

If you’re a parent of a teen (or young adult) with autism, ADHD, anxiety, or learning differences — you might be wondering:

➡️ Will they ever be ready?
➡️ How do we start without overwhelming them?
➡️ What if it feels harder than it “should”?

Here’s what we want you to know:

Driving is a complex life skill — and for many neurodivergent learners, it’s not about motivation… it’s about the right support, the right pace, and the right structure.

We’ve been writing blogs to help parents understand readiness, confidence-building, and what supports can make a real difference.

📖 Read some of our work below:
⁠Learning to Drive: https://www.drivingwell.com.au/learning-to-drive/

5 Things You Need to Know About Driving With Autism: https://www.drivingwell.com.au/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-driving-with-autism/

Why Seeing a Driving OT from the Outset is so Important: https://www.drivingwell.com.au/why-seeing-a-driving-ot-from-the-outset-is-so-important/

Queensland Medical Certificate for Motor Vehicle Driver – What you need to know: https://www.drivingwell.com.au/queensland-transport-medical-certificate/

Regular Instructors vs. Specialised Driving Instructors: https://www.drivingwell.com.au/regular-instructors-vs-specialised-driving-instructors/

The Wrong Driving Instructor can Really Impact Learning to Drive: https://www.drivingwell.com.au/the-wrong-instructor-can-really-impact-learning-to-drive/

Navigating the Road with ADHD: Strategies for Focused Driving: https://www.drivingwell.com.au/navigating-the-road-with-adhd/

⁠Get Driving Support Sessions: https://www.drivingwell.com.au/get-driving-support-sessions/

You’re not behind — you’re just building the groundwork.

Learning to drive is an exciting rite of passage for young people. It can be the beginning of their life as a young adult, independence, trips with their friends – no more pick up and drops off for parents! As exciting as it may be for the young person, it’s often a daunting prospect for...