Welcome to ADED's Credentialing Pathways page. By adding recognition of professional development ADED is empowering professionals to show pride in their driver rehabilitation knowledge and skills. We are excited to share with you some information about this new program that will enhance driver rehabilitation education and elevate your professional development.

ADED provides a pathway of educational programs that develop and recognize specific areas and/or level(s) of competency/knowledge within the scope of practice of Driver Rehabilitation.

Badges, microcredentials and certification are a way to showcase your skills, broadcast your potential and display your professional journey. These achievements are not self-claimed titles or self-appointed skills. These credentials are earned, endorsed by ADED and verifiable. The verifiable data tells a viewer what the earner did, how they did it and if they are still in good standing.

The digital icons issued for your achievements are an outward symbol of your skills, abilities and accomplishments. They are meant to be shared digitally in email signatures, on business cards, on web pages, on social media, and on resumes. They work to signify to colleagues, employers and the public your commitment to excellence in the field of driver rehabilitation.

Why has ADED chosen to create a badge and microcredential program? ADED serves distinct groups of driver rehabilitation professionals: individuals just starting out and new to industry (looking for foundational learning), those in the prime of their careers (keeping on the forefront of professional practice and technology), and seasoned professionals (looking for continued growth and advancement). Our goal is to offer individualized learning pathways that fulfill career needs in driver rehabilitation education while acknowledging prior knowledge, skills, and experience. This method of professional development involves connecting existing competencies to evolving knowledge, skills and abilities through effective, multimodal ways of learning. ADED’s badge and microcredential program is designed to realize practitioner potential, improve practice, and enhance career development.

Who will benefit from badge and microcredential program? All individuals looking to expand their knowledge and accolades in driver rehabilitation will benefit from these programs. Our goal is to provide a thorough mix of multiple offerings that will be applicable to varying levels in the driver rehabilitation profession: entry level, intermediate, and advanced. Our badges will focus on specific topics related to the practice of driver rehabilitation and each badge will concentrate on a relatively small scope of the field. The microcredential will establish an education path so an earner is equipped to provide service within basic and low-tech programs. The requirements for each badge and microcredential will be clearly posted on our program portal so potential badge earners have a road map of the education and proficiencies needed to earn each accolade. 

How will ADED execute the badge and microcredential program? The programs will formalize educational pathways into distinctive frameworks of knowledge, skills, abilities and practices. ADED’s learning platform offers the adaptation and innovation necessary to accommodate a multimodal design that will incorporate live, online, and on-demand educational components. These programs are designed for experiential learning combining theory, research, problem solving, and critical thinking with ethical integration and best practices.

What are the benefits of earning a badge? An ADED-issued badge is an accolade that attests to qualifications, competencies, and knowledge or skill attainment within a relatively small scope of the practice of driver rehabilitation. Badges may be stackable or part of a sequence that can be accumulated over time. Upon successful completion of requirements, a badge earner will be provided an iconic symbol for use in identifying themselves as having earned that accolade. The badge’s symbol will link back to an electronic verification system on the ADED platform that allows consumers, employers, referral sources, and colleagues to view and confirm the educational achievement awarded to the badge earner. Badges are highly-visual and shareable online. Digital badges help individuals gain recognition for their achievements and make those achievements portable, verifiable, and discoverable. Digital badges are easily posted on websites, social media, professional networks, resumes and in email signatures. Publicly displaying earned badges enables employers, colleagues, and clients the ability to discover and verify an individual’s training and skills, which can lead to increased career opportunities.

What are the benefits of earning a microcredential? Earning a microcredential verifies that you have earned skills that differentiate you academically and professionally. Mastering professionally recognized competencies and skills keeps you at the leading edge of your profession. Microcredentials are visualized through issuance of a digital iconic symbol, which offer a highly-recognizable way to showcase one’s achievements. The symbol links back to ADED verification system displaying the metadata which details the requirements an individual has satisfied to earn the credential along with the evidence that a specific individual has indeed satisfied those requirements. This will provide communication of your knowledge, skills, achievements, and competencies to employers, colleagues, peers, and the public.

What about the CDRS® credential? ADED’s CDRS® remains the gold-standard in terms of driver rehabilitation service provision. A CDRS® is an experienced practitioner in the field of driver rehabilitation who, through successful completion of a formal certification examination, has proven their capacity to provide services within the full spectrum of driver rehabilitation services. One goal of the badge and microcredential program is to provide an educational pathway of progressive proficiency for those working towards earning their CDRS®. If you have already earned and are actively maintaining your CDRS® we appreciate your commitment to the driver rehabilitation profession and are planning to offer advanced badges to assist you in continued educational and professional advancement.

Looking for more information?  Contact Lynn Rocap, ADED's Director of Education and Credentialing via email at Lynn@driver-ed.org with any questions you may have. Click here to set up a time to discuss the credential pathways and your educational journey.