Functional Abilities Evaluation (FAE)
Functional Abilities Evaluations are used to determine physical impairments and abilities and help to identify physical work tolerances.
By understanding the limitations and restrictions that affect return to work or pre accident status, this measure can help to understand the rehabilitation required and facilitate a timely return to work. Our FAE's can take up to 3-4 hours, and include:
- A detailed medical history and present complaints review.
- An objective clinical assessment: range of motion, strength, endurance, orthopedic and neuromuscular testing.
- Functional testing: aerobic capacity, positional tolerances, lifting and carrying, reaching, bending, twisting, squatting, kneeling, hand use, and other work simulated tasks.
- Comparison to population norms.
The client’s co-operation, and full participation and overall effort is required during functional testing. Any behaviour such as pain focused behaviour, or other barriers interfering with full performance will be observed, and commented on.
Assessors in an FAE usually include a Registered Physiotherapist or Occupational Therapist and a Certified Kinesiologist. Our assessors have many years of training and have performed multiple examinations.
Situations where an FAE is recommended, include:
- when an objective evaluation is required to make appropriate decisions regarding a client’s functional status and their ability to perform a certain job or specific tasks of an occupation.
- when there is a need to determine if a client is physically able to safely perform regular job tasks.
- when there is a need to determine if the client will benefit from further rehabilitation, such as a work hardening program, active rehabilitation or a personal training program.
- when the employer seeks to find out if the client will benefit from job modifications, temporary job restrictions, and the addition of assistive equipment or aids to be able to perform job tasks in a more safe and efficient manner. This will help the client reach full recovery in a shorter time period.
Referrers of FAE’s often include Employers, Insurance Companies (including Long Term Disability departments), Doctors and Lawyers.
