Staff profile

Dr Marilyn Di Stefano

Senior Lecturer

Faculty of Health Sciences

School of Allied Health
Department of Occupational Therapy

HS3-408, Melbourne (Bundoora)

 

Qualifications

BAppSci (Occ.Ther) Grad Dip (Ergonomics) Cert.Erg. PhD

Area of study

Occupational Therapy

Research interests

Rehabilitation

- Please contact me to discuss a topic.

Recent publications

Book Chapters

Di Stefano, M., & Macdonald, W. (2010). An Introduction to Driver Assessment and Rehabilitation, in Curtin, M. (Ed). Occupational Therapy and Physical Dysfunction: Enabling Occupation. (6th ed). Philadelphia: Elsevier.

Di Stefano, M. & Macdonald, (2009). Issues related to use of In-vehicle Intelligent Transport Systems by drivers with functional impairmentsinIngrid Soderback (Ed).International Handbook of Occupational Therapy Interventions. New York: Springer.

Di Stefano, M., & Macdonald, W. (2006). On-the-road evaluationn of driving performance. In J. Pellerito (Ed.), Driver rehabilitation and community mobility: principles and practice (pp. 255 - 274). St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Mosby.

Di Stefano, M., & Macdonald, W. (2006). Advanced strategies for on-road driver rehabilitation and training. In J. Pellerito (Ed.), Driver rehabilitation and community mobility: principles and practice (pp. 297 - 310). St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Mosby.

Di Stefano, M, & Macdonald, W. (2006). In-Vehicle Intelligent Transport Systems.  In J. Pellerito (Ed.), Driver rehabilitation and community mobility: principles and practice (pp. 373 - 390). St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Mosby.   Di Stefano, M. (2006). On-Road Evaluation and Training of Clients with Hearing Impairments. In J. Pellerito (Ed.), Driver rehabilitation and community mobility: principles and practice (pp. 285 - 295). St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Mosby.

Di Stefano, M. (2006). The Clinical evaluation of Hearing, In J. Pellerito (Ed.), Driver rehabilitation and community mobility: principles and practice (pp. 146 – 152.). St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Mosby.

Macdonald, W., Pellerito, J., & Di Stefano, M. (2006). Introduction to driver rehabilitation and community mobility. In J. Pellerito (Ed.), Driver rehabilitation and community mobility: principles and practice (pp. 5 - 35). Philadelphia: Elsevier.

Journal Articles

Di Stefano, M. & Macdonald, W. (2010 March/April). Occupational Therapy Driver Assessors’s Opinions on Improving On-Road Driver Assessment Procedures. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 64, (2), 325 – 335.

Di Stefano, M., Lovell, R., Stone, K., Oh, S. & Cockfield, S. (2009).  Supporting individuals to make informed personal mobility choices: Development and trial of an evidence based community mobility education program. Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation, 25(1), 55-72.

Wheatley, C. & Di Stefano, M. (2008). Individualized Assessment of Driving Fitness for Older Individuals with Health, Disability and Age-Related Concerns. Transport Injury Prevention, 9: 4, 320 – 327.

Di Stefano, M., & Lovell, R. (2006). Using a participatory research method to develop a handbook for driving instructors to assist with teaching older drivers. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 53, 132-135.

Di Stefano, M., & Macdonald, W. (2003). Intelligent transport systems and occupational therapy practice. Occupational Therapy International, 10 (1), 56 – 74.

Di Stefano, M., & Macdonald, W. (2003). Assessment of older drivers: Relationships among on-road errors, medical conditions and test outcome. Journal of Safety Research, 34, 415 – 429.(Special “Older Driver” research edition).

Selected Conference Presentations: International

Di Stefano, M., & Macdonald, W. (2006). Occupational Therapist Assessment of Functionally Impaired Drivers: Research to Optimize a Standard Set of Route Design Criteria and Driving Maneuvers. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Aging, Disability and Independence Conference, February 1 - 5, (pp. 383-384). St. Petersburg, Florida, USA: University of Florida, Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Successful Aging.

Di Stefano, M. & Macdonald, W. (2006). Characteristics of drivers referred for OT driver assessment within a licensing medical review system. In Proceedings, 14th Congress of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, 23 - 28 July, 2006, Sydney Convention Centre: OT Australia.

Barber, V. & Di Stefano, M. (2006). An exploratory study investigating a family member’s perspective of a driver experiencing a change in driving ability. In Proceedings, 14th Congress of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, 23 - 28 July, 2006, Sydney Convention Centre: OT Australia.

Selected Conference Presentations: National

Presentations and full Papers published in Conference Proceedings (Peer reviewed)

Di Stefano, M. & Macdonald, W. (2008). Design of on-road test routes: validity issues for assessment of functionally impaired drivers.  In Proceedings of the Road Safety, Research, Policing and Education Conference, November 10 - 12, Sydney: Australian College of Road Safety.

Di Stefano, M. & Macdonald, W. (2007). Driving assessment procedures of occupational therapists: some results from a national survey of OT driver assessors. In Proceedings of the Road Safety, Research, Policing and Education Conference, October 17 - 19, Sydney: Australian College of Road Safety. Downloaded 3rd March, 2008 from http://www.acrs.org.au/acrsconferenceproceedings/

Di Stefano, M., & Macdonald, W. (2003). Driving Instructor Interventions during On-Road Tests of Functionally Impaired Drivers: Implications for Test Criteria. In Proceedings of the Road Safety, Research, Policing and Education Conference, September 24 - 26, (pp. 70 – 77). Sydney: Australian College of Road Safety.

Presentations and Abstracts published in International or National Conference Proceedings (Peer reviewed)

Di Stefano, M. & Macdonald. W. (2010). Competency standards for Occupational Therapy driver assessors: Implementation and issues related to on-road assessment routes. Proceedings, 15th Congress of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, 4th to 7th May, 2010 Santiago Convention Centre, Chile: South American Occupational Therapy Association.

Di Stefano, M. & Lovell, R. (2010).Making informed mobility choices: Evaluation of a community based education program targeting healthy older people.Proceedings, 15th Congress of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, 4th to 7th May, 2010 Santiago Convention Centre, Chile: South American Occupational Therapy Association.

Montalto, S. & Di Stefano, M. (2009). Detailed examination and evaluation of design features in stairways where slip, trip and fall injuries have occurred. Abstract in Proceedings of the 9th National Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion. July 26th to 28th, 2009, Sofitel Hotel, Melbourne, Victoria. (page 69)http://www.injuryprevention2009.com/index.php

Di Stefano, M. & Macdonald, W. (2008). Driving Error Patterns of functionally Impaired Drivers during Assessment: Relationships with Route Characteristics and Impairment Category. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Aging, Disability and Independence Conference, February 20 - 23, 2008, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA: University of Florida , Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Successful Aging. http://www.icadi.phhp.ufl.edu/

Di Stefano, M., Lovell, R., Stone, K. & Oh, S. (2008).Supporting Individuals to make informed Mobility Choices: Development and Trial of the TAC Community Mobility for Older People Program. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Aging, Disability and Independence Conference, February 20 - 23, 2008, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA: University of Florida , Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Successful Aging. http://www.icadi.phhp.ufl.edu/ Proceedings not yet posted.

Di Stefano, M., Lovell, R., Stone, K. & Oh, S. (2008). TAC Community Mobility for Older People Program: Key Principles guiding program development (Workshop presentation). In Proceedings of the International Conference on Aging, Disability and Independence Conference, February 20 - 23, 2008, St. Petersburg, Florida, USA: University of Florida , Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Successful Aging. http://www.icadi.phhp.ufl.edu/ Proceedings not yet posted.