All About the Smart Driver Program

A woman leans on a white car that is parked in a driveway in front of a house, another woman is seated in the driver's seat, both women are smiling and looking at the camera, a logo on the driver's door reads "UF SmartDriver Rehab University of Florida 352-273-6620", on top of the car is a sign that reads "Student Driver"

Event Details

Date/Time/Location

Monday, May 12, 2025
5:00 – 6:00PM
Zoom

Training Description

Driving and community mobility enables adolescents to begin to develop social capital (relationships and social connections that an individual has within his or her community). This can affect their overall quality of life long-term. Neurodiverse novice drivers face challenges to participate in this area that begin long before they take the learner’s permit test. This presentation will cover barriers to participation, pre-driving skills and the role driver rehabilitation may play in achieving the goal of independent mobility.

Training Objectives

This presentation will allow the participants to

  • Identify how youth with special needs may be at risk for being ill prepared for driving because of lack of participation in pre-driving activities
  • Discuss some of the potential barriers to participation for neurodiverse novice drivers
  • Identify driving situations that challenge social and executive function skills
  • List the components of a potential to drive assessment

Target Audience

Adults with autism, Parents, and Caregivers

About the Presenter

Beth Gibson, OTR/L, CDRS
Instructional Assistant Professor: Department of Occupational Therapy and Manager and Certified Driver Rehabilitation Specialist: UF SmartDriver™ Rehab Services, UF Health

Beth Gibson, OTR/L, CDRS is an Instructional Assistant Professor in the Occupational Therapy Department of the University of Florida. She is the manager of the UF SmartDriver™ Rehab program which provides driver rehabilitation services to the community. She is the primary instructor in the post professional graduate certificate program in Driver Rehabilitation Therapy. She participates in driving related research initiatives through the UF Institute for Driving, Activity, Participation and Technology (I-DAPT). She has worked in driver rehabilitation for over 29 years providing comprehensive driver evaluations and training to clients across the age spectrum with an emphasis on low- and high-tech equipment. Professor Gibson has earned the Autism Badge from the ADED showing continued emphasis on this population. She currently serves on the research committee and the speaker’s bureau of the Association of Driver Rehabilitation Specialists (ADED).

Accommodations

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. To request accommodations or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact Dr. Danielle Liso at 352-265-2241 or card-training@ufl.edu.

Contact

Danielle Liso
card-training@ufl.edu
352-265-2241