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Updated: May 31, 2026

Cognitive Function and Upper Limb Rehabilitation Training Post-Stroke Using a Digital Occupational Training System
07:35

Cognitive Function and Upper Limb Rehabilitation Training Post-Stroke Using a Digital Occupational Training System

Published on: December 29, 2023

Occupational Therapy in Crisis.

Stacy Smallfield1, Wanda J Mahoney2

  • 1Stacy Smallfield, DrOT, OTR/L, BCG, FAOTA, is Professor, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Allied Health Professions, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha; ssmallfield@unmc.edu.

The American Journal of Occupational Therapy : Official Publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association
|May 28, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The occupational therapy profession faces a recurring identity crisis due to challenges in practice, healthcare, and theory. Practitioners must actively shape the future of occupational therapy to address these issues.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 31, 2026

Cognitive Function and Upper Limb Rehabilitation Training Post-Stroke Using a Digital Occupational Training System
07:35

Cognitive Function and Upper Limb Rehabilitation Training Post-Stroke Using a Digital Occupational Training System

Published on: December 29, 2023

Area of Science:

  • Health Sciences
  • Professional Studies

Background:

  • The occupational therapy profession in the U.S. is experiencing a significant identity crisis.
  • This is not unprecedented, as similar crises occurred in the 1940s and 1970s.
  • Professional crises emerge when the existing paradigm fails to meet current practice challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify the factors contributing to the current occupational therapy crisis.
  • To highlight the lack of consensus on the profession's theoretical base, humanistic view, and scope of practice.
  • To prompt occupational therapy practitioners to actively engage in defining the profession's future.

Main Methods:

  • This study is a conceptual analysis and historical review of occupational therapy.
  • It examines societal, healthcare, and professional factors influencing the field.
  • The paper synthesizes past professional crises to contextualize the present situation.

Main Results:

  • Current societal, healthcare, and professional issues are fueling an occupational therapy identity crisis.
  • A lack of professional consensus exists regarding core tenets like theoretical foundations, views of humanity, and practice scope.
  • Historical patterns indicate that such crises are cyclical and linked to paradigm shifts.

Conclusions:

  • The occupational therapy profession is currently in a state of crisis, marked by a fractured professional identity.
  • Addressing this crisis requires practitioners to confront the lack of consensus on fundamental professional concepts.
  • Active engagement by practitioners is crucial for determining and shaping the future direction of occupational therapy.