Mobility Scooter Prescription for Community OTs with Lauren Hart!
Mobility scooters are one of the most commonly requested pieces of assistive technology in community practice – yet the prescription process is often more complex than it appears. Cognitive capacity, vision, community safety, route assessment, and funding all require careful clinical reasoning before a scooter ever leaves the showroom floor.
This course walks occupational therapists through the complete prescription process using Layton’s (2017) eight-step AT framework, applied specifically to mobility scooters. Working through a detailed case study, you will assess person, environment, and occupation factors; determine scooter type and features; conduct and document a community trial using the PoMoDATT; and prepare a well-reasoned funding application. The content emphasises clinical reasoning and documentation throughout – not product comparison.
This course is part of a collaborative Community AT series developed by Otuition and Your OT Tutor. It is intended for occupational therapists working in community, aged care, or NDIS settings.
Course
2 Hours
About this course
A structured, evidence-informed online course guiding occupational therapists through the complete clinical process for prescribing mobility scooters – from identifying need and assessing community safety through to implementation and review.
Ideal for:
Occupational Therapists working in community or aged care settings who want to build confidence in mobility scooter assessment, prescription, and funding applications using a structured assistive technology framework.
You’ll learn how to:
- Apply a structured AT assessment framework to mobility scooter prescription
- Assess scooter suitability in relation to cognition, physical capacity, and environment using the PEO model
- Select scooter type and features based on clinical need and community access goals
- Identify when the PoMoDATT, GP clearance, and community trials are required
- Understand key safety risks and common prescription errors to avoid
- Work through a clinical case example from assessment through to prescription decision
About your instructor
Lauren Hart
Lauren Hart is a senior occupational therapist with 13 years of experience, and the founder of both Optimal Living Therapy and Otuition. Working across community and private practice, Lauren has developed deep expertise in assistive technology prescription and the practical realities of delivering high-quality OT in complex, funded environments.
Lauren believes that great OT comes from creative thinking and finding solutions that truly fit the individual – and she brings that same philosophy to everything Otuition produces. She is passionate about building the capacity of the OT profession through evidence-informed, peer-developed education that is genuinely useful in day-to-day practice.
Syllabus
4 Modules, resources and references covering
- Introduction- AT Framework & Mobility Scooter Fundamentals
- Welcome and course overview
- Course disclaimers and assumed knowledge
- What is a mobility scooter? Definition, purpose, and distinction from powered wheelchairs
- Scooter categories: portable/folding, medium, and large
- Cost ranges and funding contexts (aged care and NDIS)
- Layton’s (2017) eight-step AT best-practice framework
- Why a scooter prescription realistically takes six to eight hours of clinical time
- Introducing the case study
- Steps 1-2: Identifying Need & Feature Matching
- Starting with function – what task is actually impacted?
- Starting with the goal – what problem has led this person to seek a scooter?
- PEO model applied to mobility scooter prescription
- Person factors: cognitive capacity, executive function, and why medication management is a useful proxy
- Vision assessment – when GP sign-off is essential and what a lost licence should prompt
- Physical considerations: upper limb control, transfers, sitting balance, neck range of motion
- Environment factors: storage, charging, footpath quality, curb cutouts, gradients
- Occupation factors: mapping destinations, calculating distances, walking the route
- Scooter types and feature matching: portable vs medium/large, 3-wheel vs 4-wheel
- Battery range: why the planned distance must be substantially exceeded
- Key features and accessories: tiller, seat arms, basket, headlights, horn, suspension
- Manual handling considerations for portable options
- Case study: applying Steps 1-2
- Steps 3-5 Trials: Choice and Funding Applications
- Genuinely considering and documenting alternatives before proceeding
- Alternatives to consider: driving, community transport, taxi subsidies, walking programs, support workers
- Why prescribing too readily risks removing opportunities to maintain mobility and function
- The PoMoDATT – Powered Mobility Device Assessment and Training Tool
- What the PoMoDATT covers: cognition screening, road rules, emergency scenarios
- Using the PoMoDATT before physical trials – not after
- Why a showroom trial is never adequate – community trials are non-negotiable
- GP clearance: what to request and why
- Common prescription errors and how to avoid them
- Selecting and tailoring the final prescription – PEO match, pros, cons, trade-offs
- Writing the funding application – linking clinical assessment to justification
- Documentation requirements: value for money, alternatives ruled out, specific model and quote
- Case study: applying Steps 3-5
- Steps 6-8: Delivery, Review and Outcome Measurement
- Implementation – what to check on delivery and who should be present
- Training the client and their supports: controls, charging, emergency procedures
- Videoing the supplier walkthrough as a practical reference tool
- Supervised test drive in the community on delivery day
- Roadside assistance options – RAC Wheels to Go and equivalent services
- Follow-up – when to push for review (safety concerns, equipment failure, change in needs)
- Enabling self-management from day one
- Formal review – device and person
- Outcome measures: QUEST 2.0 (satisfaction) and PIADS (psychosocial impact)
- Documentation as an AHPRA professional requirement and practical safeguard
- Scenarios: continue, modify, discharge, or refer on
- Case study: applying Steps 6-8
- CPD reflection and translating this learning into your next scooter referral
More information
Prescribing mobility scooters can be challenging, especially when you’re balancing clinical reasoning, community safety, route assessment, and funding requirements. We created this course to bridge that gap, offering practical guidance on how to assess, trial, and prescribe scooters using a structured assistive technology framework.
Using Layton’s eight-step AT framework and a detailed clinical case study, this course focuses on person, environment, and occupation factors, trial processes, and documentation. Our goal is to help you feel more confident in scooter prescription, whether you’re building foundational skills or refining your approach in community practice.
