8944 182 Street NorthWest, Edmonton, Alberta T5T 2E3, Canada
PHONE: (780) 890-0393
Alberta Occupational Therapy Services
Comprehensive Driving Evaluations & Vehicle Modifications
Functional Capacity Evaluations & Cognitive Abilities Evaluations
We provide Comprehensive Driving Evaluations tailored for individuals who have experienced physical or neurological injuries and require specific accommodations for driving. Our driver assessments include detailed examinations conducted by occupational therapists and driving evaluators to assess a person's driveability and ensure their ca
We provide Comprehensive Driving Evaluations tailored for individuals who have experienced physical or neurological injuries and require specific accommodations for driving. Our driver assessments include detailed examinations conducted by occupational therapists and driving evaluators to assess a person's driveability and ensure their capability to drive safely and independently. Additionally, we offer an Alberta cognitive test for seniors to further evaluate their driving assessment needs.
Functional Capacity Evaluations & Cognitive Abilities Evaluations
Functional Capacity Evaluations & Cognitive Abilities Evaluations
At Matheson, we are trained to deliver the highest standard of Functional and Cognitive Assessments, including specialized assessments such as the Alberta cognitive test for seniors, ensuring our clients receive comprehensive evaluations for driveability and driving assessments.
SOS Approach To Feeding Clinic for Picky and Problem Eaters
SOS Approach To Feeding Clinic for Picky and Problem Eaters
Is mealtime a struggle? If your child refuses foods, gags at certain textures, or eats a very limited diet — we can help. Our occupational therapists are certified in the SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) Approach to Feeding, an evidence-based program that helps children learn to accept new foods at their own pace, without pressure or force.
Is mealtime a struggle? If your child refuses foods, gags at certain textures, or eats a very limited diet — we can help. Our occupational therapists are certified in the SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) Approach to Feeding, an evidence-based program that helps children learn to accept new foods at their own pace, without pressure or force. Additionally, for seniors in Alberta, we can provide assessments that include cognitive tests along with driving assessments to ensure safety on the road. Through playful, step-by-step exploration of textures, smells, and tastes, children build comfort and confidence at the table. We look at the whole picture — sensory processing, motor skills, oral function, and emotional comfort — not just what's on the plate.
Functional Assessments for Adults and Seniors
SOS Approach To Feeding Clinic for Picky and Problem Eaters
With over a decade of experience in the field of Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation Medicine, we are skilled in conducting functional and cognitive assessments for a variety of disabilities that impact participation in daily activities. Our expertise includes specialized programs such as the Alberta cognitive test for seniors, which
With over a decade of experience in the field of Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation Medicine, we are skilled in conducting functional and cognitive assessments for a variety of disabilities that impact participation in daily activities. Our expertise includes specialized programs such as the Alberta cognitive test for seniors, which helps evaluate cognitive function relevant to driveability. We provide comprehensive treatment, education, and advocacy, including driving assessments to optimize abilities for safe driving.
Progressive Goal Attainment Program (PGAP)
The Progressive Goal Attainment Program (PGAP) is a structured, evidence-based intervention aimed at overcoming psychosocial barriers to recovery and supporting individuals with disabilities, especially those facing persistent pain or mental health conditions. As a certified provider of the Progressive Goal Attainment Program, we also rec
The Progressive Goal Attainment Program (PGAP) is a structured, evidence-based intervention aimed at overcoming psychosocial barriers to recovery and supporting individuals with disabilities, especially those facing persistent pain or mental health conditions. As a certified provider of the Progressive Goal Attainment Program, we also recognize the importance of assessments, such as the Alberta cognitive test for seniors, to evaluate readiness for driving. Our services include comprehensive driveability and driver assessments to ensure a safe return to driving.
Medical Legal Services
Independent occupational therapy assessments for legal and insurance matters.
When a file turns on what someone can and cannot do, you need more than an opinion — you need documented, defensible evidence.
We provide independent functional and cognitive evaluations, cost of future care reports, and attendant care assessments for legal counse
Independent occupational therapy assessments for legal and insurance matters.
When a file turns on what someone can and cannot do, you need more than an opinion — you need documented, defensible evidence.
We provide independent functional and cognitive evaluations, cost of future care reports, and attendant care assessments for legal counsel, insurers, and case managers. Our occupational therapists are certified in both the Matheson and WorkWell protocols, and our reports are prepared to a standard suitable for review by opposing counsel.
Our role is to assess and report — not to advocate. Findings are presented as measured, whichever party retains us.
Driving Evaluations
DriveABLE Driving Evaluations and Vehicle Modifications
Driving Safety & Rehabilitation Services
If you or a loved one have concerns about driving safety—whether due to a medical condition, anxiety following an accident, or general uncertainty—we are here to help. Our specialized driving assessments, including the Alberta cognitive test for seniors, and practice sessions are designed to restore confidence, promote safe driving habits, and maintain independence on the road.
Our experienced occupational therapists and certified driving evaluators work with individuals facing challenges related to vision, cognition, mobility, or emotional well-being. We provide tailored recommendations—including adaptive equipment and vehicle modifications—to make driving safer and more accessible.
Our Driving Evaluation Process
- Comprehensive Functional Assessment – Evaluating key skills such as vision, cognitive function, attention, motor abilities, and reaction time.
- On-the-Road Driving Test – Assessing your driving performance in real-world conditions.
Based on your results, we provide clear, personalized feedback, which may include:
- Specialized driver retraining programs
- Therapy sessions to improve driving-related skills
- Adaptive equipment or vehicle modifications
Adaptive Solutions We Offer:
- DriveABLE cognitive screening for mild impairment
- Steering wheel modifications, signal extenders, adapted mirrors, and seating adjustments for easier transfers or limited spinal rotation
- Left-side gas pedals, hand controls, and spinner knobs for enhanced accessibility
Our mission is to ensure safety, promote independence, and empower you to remain confident behind the wheel.
Contact us today to learn more about our driving rehabilitation services or to schedule your driving assessment.
DriveABLE Cognitive Assessment Testing Tool: https://impirica.tech/driveable
Referrals
To make a referral for a driving assessment, call Abilities Occupational Therapy Inc. at 780-890-0393. Medical offices can fax referrals to 1-780-669-5832. Rubina Dhanji, Co-Founder, is a registered member of the Association of Driver Rehabilitation Specialists (ADED) and is experienced in conducting the Alberta cognitive test for seniors as part of their driveability evaluations.
FCE's and CAE's
Matheson and WorkWell FCE Protocol Certified
When the question is "what can this person safely do?" — guesswork isn't good enough.
A returning worker, a disability claim, a litigation file. These decisions turn on function, and function deserves to be measured, not estimated. That's what our evaluations do: replace opinion with observed, documented performance.
Certified in both leading protocols
What makes an evaluation defensible isn't the equipment — it's the method behind it. A standardized protocol produces consistent, reproducible results that withstand scrutiny from an adjudicator, an insurer, or opposing counsel.
Our occupational therapists are certified in both the Matheson and WorkWell protocols — the two most established functional evaluation methodologies in the field. Very few clinics hold both.
Matheson brings a rigorous, work-focused framework built on careful job analysis, structured measurement of physical demands, and disciplined attention to consistency of effort throughout testing. Its emphasis is defensibility: findings that hold up because the process behind them is transparent and repeatable.
WorkWell adds a systematic kinesiophysical model — evaluating physical response to graded activity rather than relying on reported pain or self-limitation alone. Its structured progression through material handling and positional tolerance testing generates objective, reproducible data referral sources can act on with confidence.
Holding certification in both means we're not forced to fit every file into a single method. We select the protocol — or the combination — that best answers your referral question, and we can speak to the methodology with authority if it's ever challenged.
The cognitive side
Not every barrier to work is physical. Our Cognitive Abilities Evaluations assess the thinking skills a job actually requires: sustained attention, working memory, processing speed, executive function, and — critically — insight into one's own limitations.
Because our assessments are occupation-focused, we go beyond scores. A test result tells you a number. Our report tells you what it means for a shift, a task, and a workplace.
What you get
A clear, well-reasoned report separating findings, rationale, and recommendations — written so a case manager, adjudicator, or lawyer can follow the logic without a clinical background. Objective, whoever retained us.
Paediatric Occupational Therapy Services
Helping Children bulld the skills they need to thrive - At home, at school and at play
Every child develops at their own pace. But when everyday activities like eating, writing, getting dressed, or managing big emotions become a daily struggle, occupational therapy can help. We work with children and their families to build real, practical skills — through play, patience, and evidence-based strategies.
SOS Approach to Feeding
For picky eaters and problem feeders.
Mealtimes shouldn't be a battle. Our SOS (Sequential Oral Sensory) Approach to Feeding program supports children who eat only a narrow range of foods, refuse whole textures or food groups, gag or become distressed at new foods, or turn every meal into a source of family stress.
The SOS approach recognizes that eating is the most complex task a young child performs — drawing on all eight sensory systems, oral-motor coordination, muscle control, and emotional regulation at once. Rather than focusing on how much a child eats, we address why eating is hard for them.
How it works: Eating is broken into a progression of small, achievable steps — from tolerating a food in the room, to touching it, smelling it, licking it, and eventually eating it. We celebrate "micro-progressions," because a child touching a strawberry for the first time is real, measurable progress.
Our principles: No pressure, ever. Play-based exploration. Parents as part of the team. A plan built around your individual child.
Our feeding program is led by Taylor Stringer, OT, who has completed training in the SOS Approach to Feeding — and is already earning outstanding feedback from families.
Sensory Processing & Regulation
For children who are overwhelmed, under-responsive, or always on the move.
Some children are highly sensitive to sound, touch, textures, or movement. Others seem to crave constant input — crashing, spinning, and never sitting still. Sensory processing differences can affect everything from getting dressed to sitting in a classroom.
We assess how your child takes in and responds to sensory information, then build a practical plan — often called a "sensory diet" — that helps them stay regulated and ready to learn. Parents leave understanding why their child reacts the way they do, and what actually helps.
Fine Motor Skills & Handwriting
For the small movements that make a big difference.
Fine motor skills underpin much of a child's school day. We support children struggling with:
- Pencil grasp, letter formation, and handwriting legibility
- Scissor skills and cutting accuracy
- Hand strength, endurance, and dexterity
- Fasteners — buttons, zippers, snaps, and laces
- Hand-eye coordination and in-hand manipulation
Our work is play-based and purposeful, building strength and control through activities children actually enjoy.
Gross Motor Skills & Coordination
For the bigger movements — balance, strength, and body awareness.
We help children who appear clumsy, tire quickly, avoid playground equipment, or struggle to keep up with peers. Areas of focus include core strength and postural control, balance and coordination, motor planning and sequencing, and body awareness in space.
Building these foundations gives children the confidence to join in — which matters just as much as the physical skill itself.
School Readiness & Classroom Skills
Setting children up to succeed in the classroom.
"Ready for school" involves far more than letters and numbers. We support the underlying skills that make a school day manageable: pencil grasp and scissor use, attention and focus, following multi-step directions, sitting tolerance and posture, organization, and independence with belongings and self-care.
We're also glad to collaborate with teachers and school teams where helpful.
Self-Care & Daily Living Skills
Building independence, one skill at a time.
Dressing, toileting, brushing teeth, bathing, using utensils, sleep routines, and tolerating haircuts and nail trimming — these everyday tasks are the "occupations" of childhood. We break them into achievable steps and give families strategies that work in real life, not just in the clinic.
Emotional Regulation & Self-Regulation
Helping children manage big feelings.
Meltdowns, difficulty with transitions, trouble calming down, and low frustration tolerance often reflect a nervous system that needs support — not a behaviour problem. We help children develop tools to recognize and manage their own arousal levels, and we coach parents in co-regulation strategies that work in the hardest moments.
Who We Support
We work with children of all ages and abilities, including those with:
- Autism spectrum disorder
- ADHD
- Sensory processing differences
- Developmental delays and coordination difficulties
- Feeding disorders and severe food aversions
- Fine and gross motor delays
- Learning and attention challenges
- Genetic and neurological conditions
We also welcome families who don't have a diagnosis at all — just questions and concerns about their child's development.
Functional Assessments for Adults and Seniors
Understanding what someone can safely manage — and what support would make the difference.
As people age or recover from illness or injury, everyday tasks can quietly become harder. A functional assessment answers the practical questions families and care teams face: Is it still safe to live at home? What's actually causing the difficulty? What would help?
Our occupational therapists assess real performance in real contexts — observing tasks rather than relying on self-report alone — then provide clear, actionable recommendations.
What we assess
- Activities of daily living (ADLs) — bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, transfers
- Instrumental activities (IADLs) — meal preparation, medication management, housekeeping, shopping, finances
- Mobility and transfers — walking, stairs, getting in and out of bed, chairs, and the tub
- Falls risk — balance, gait, footwear, lighting, and environmental hazards
- Cognition as it affects function — memory, safety awareness, judgment, and problem-solving in daily tasks
- Home environment — accessibility, layout, and barriers to independence
What you receive
A written report outlining current functional status, identified risks, and specific recommendations — which may include:
- Assistive equipment — grab bars, raised toilet seats, bath aids, mobility devices
- Home modifications — ramps, stair rails, bathroom changes, lighting improvements
- Support recommendations — the type and amount of assistance needed, and when
- Strategies and adaptations — practical techniques to make daily tasks safer and easier
- Referrals — to other services where appropriate
Who we work with
Families, adult children of aging parents, physicians, case managers, insurers, legal counsel, and self-referred individuals wanting clarity about their own situation.
Our goal is always the least restrictive option that keeps someone safe. Where independence can be maintained with the right supports, we'll say so — and show you how.
Progressive Goal Attainment Program
Progressive Goal Attainment Program (PGAP)
Helping people get back to life — not just back to treatment.
Sometimes recovery stalls even when the physical injury is healing well. Pain-related fear, worry about re-injury, low mood, and withdrawal from normal activity can quietly become bigger barriers than the injury itself.
PGAP® is a standardized, evidence-based program developed by Dr. Michael Sullivan that targets exactly those barriers. Unlike treatments aimed primarily at reducing symptoms, PGAP focuses on reducing disability — helping clients re-engage with daily activities, rebuild confidence, and return to work and life roles.
How it works
Delivered over approximately 10 weeks in one-on-one sessions, PGAP uses a structured set of techniques:
- Activity scheduling — gradually rebuilding daily routine and participation
- Goal setting — clear, progressive, personally meaningful targets
- Walking and activity quotas — steady, planned increases rather than pain-guided pacing
- Thought monitoring — identifying and challenging catastrophic thinking
- Motivational enhancement — sustaining engagement through setbacks
- Structured problem-solving — working through real-world obstacles to participation
Who it helps
PGAP is often recommended for individuals experiencing delayed recovery following:
- Musculoskeletal injury or whiplash
- Chronic or persistent pain
- Depression or other mental health conditions affecting function
- Prolonged or complex medical recovery
Why referral sources choose PGAP
- Evidence-based and standardized — a defined protocol with published research support
- Function-focused outcomes — measured in re-engagement and return to work, not just symptom scores
- Complements other care — works alongside physiotherapy, medical treatment, and vocational planning
- Addresses the real barriers — targets the psychosocial risk factors known to drive long-term disability
Medical Legal Occupational Therapy Services
Medical Legal Services
Objective evidence. Defensible reports.
When a file turns on function — capacity to work, cost of future care, level of assistance required — you need measurement, not opinion.
We provide independent occupational therapy assessment and reporting for counsel, insurers, and case managers in Edmonton and area.
Services
Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCE)
Objective assessment of physical work capacity: material handling, positional tolerances, upper extremity function, endurance, and consistency of effort — measured against actual job demands. Available as single-day or two-day evaluations.
Our OTs are certified in both the Matheson and WorkWell protocols — the field's two leading methodologies. We select the approach that fits your referral question, and can speak to our methodology if challenged.
Cognitive Abilities Evaluations (CAE)
Attention, memory, processing speed, executive function, and insight — assessed through task-based activity, not scores alone. Common following TBI, concussion, stroke, or prolonged illness.
Cost of Future Care Reports
Projected lifetime needs — therapy, equipment, modifications, support hours — with clinical rationale for each recommendation.
Attendant Care & Home Support Assessments
Type, amount, and frequency of assistance required, based on observed performance.
Home & Workplace Accessibility Assessments
On-site evaluation of barriers, with specified modifications and equipment.
File Review & Clarification
Records review, responses to questions arising from a report, clarification letters.
What to expect
Independence. We accept referrals from plaintiff and defence counsel, insurers, and case managers. Findings are reported as measured, regardless of who retained us.
Usable reports. Findings, rationale, and recommendations clearly separated — followable without clinical training.
Committed timelines. Turnaround confirmed at intake. If anything changes, you hear it from us first.