An increasing number of adults over 65 years of age face challenges to maintain driving mobility. This capstone project aims to review the use of the Dynavision, Useful Field of View, and exercise in occupational therapy settings as they apply to improve older adults’ speed of processing, divided attention, visual processing, and reaction time. These factors are essential to maintaining one’s status as a safe, licensed driver. Evidence suggests that older adults may experience cognitive decline, but with practice, they may increase their speed of processing, enhance their divided attention, and improve their visual scanning and reaction time. Research indicates that exercise can be a factor in reducing age-related cognitive decline. The Dynavision, a light board containing 64 light-emitting diodes, offers occupational therapy clients instrumental practice to increase speed of processing, visual scanning, divided attention, visual processing, and reaction speed. Empirical evidence suggests that the Useful Field of View can help predict driving performance through its divided and selective attention components, and it ca challenge clients to recognize targets using central and peripheral locations while finding the target amongst distractors. Additionally, studies propose that exercise may play a pivotal role in promoting increased cognition and speed of processing. This capstone project offers a comprehensive review of the literature addressing the Dynavision, Useful Field of View, and exercise to assist occupational therapy professionals seeking to reduce older drivers’ cognitive decline while encouraging autonomy and safety.
