Driving and Community Mobility Occupational Therapist

Occupational therapists (OT, OTR/L) work on the specific activities a person needs to do — dressing, writing, driving, returning to a job. Where a physical therapist typically targets the movement itself, an occupational therapist targets the task, including adapting the task or the environment.

The formal definition

Occupational therapists can optimize and prolong an older driver's ability to drive safely and ease the transition to other forms of transportation if driving cessation becomes necessary. By identifying strengths as well as physical or cognitive challenges, occupational therapists can evaluate an individual's overall ability to operate a vehicle safely and recommend assistive devices or behavioral changes to limit risks. Occupational therapy practitioners offer a continuum of services related to community mobility, from evaluation of driving performance, through counseling and support for lifestyle changes, to maintaining independence and quality of life.

Source: NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy code set. This is the definition used for billing and registration, which is why it reads the way it does.