Rehab Centers Nationwide Utilize VDI Driving Simulators to Rehabilitate Patients in a Safe & Controlled Environment
Occupational Therapists Now Have the Training Tools Needed to Assess Driving Risk for Patients with Physical or Cognitive Impairments
The simulator is a creative and effective way to work on performance skills such as motor planning and praxis, emotional regulation, and cognition.”
EL DORADO HILLS, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, September 29, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Virtual Driver Interactive (VDI), the leading provider of simulation-based driver training solutions, today announced that rehabilitation centers nationwide have purchased VDI driving simulators to introduce “real world” obstacles, hazardous conditions and distractions to their patients in a controlled and repetitive way without the risk. — Rebecca Peltz, Occupational Therapist at Hope Network Neuro Rehabilitation
VDI’s simulation-based driver curriculum supports Occupational Therapy Programs by addressing visual scanning, information processing skills, reaction time and more. The simulators provide a realistic on-the-road experience by using real car parts including seats, seatbelts, foot pedals, blinkers, and steering wheel. Using a high definition monitor as the windshield, it allows participants to “drive” in a variety of weather, road, and traffic conditions while also creating distractions and hazards that address concentration and reaction time. The curriculum defines the physics of each problem, demonstrates the potential effects of the problem and then allows the patient to experience the consequences… safely.
“While the Virtual Driver Interactive is a way for someone to prepare for a driver’s evaluation, it is also a great tool for those whose goal is not related to driving,” says Rebecca Peltz, Occupational Therapist at Hope Network Neuro Rehabilitation. “The simulator is a creative and effective way to work on performance skills such as motor planning and praxis, emotional regulation, and cognition.”
The simulator can also help assess the potential for someone to drive again. This is especially important to both patients and their insurance companies, because driving improves independence and community access while reducing the need for third party transportation services.
“The great thing about this piece of equipment is it provides patients with an awareness of their challenges while also giving them an opportunity to gain greater confidence as they progress through the various scenarios presented by the simulator,” says Rebecca. “The simulator can feel like a game, but the reality is that it provides individuals with the skills necessary to function safely in the real world.”
Pam H LeFevre
Virtual Driver Interactive
plefevre@driverinteractive.com
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