As an occupational therapist (OT), the gap between theory and practice is
not only wide, it is littered with loosely defined terms and turf wars among
the leading theoretical proponents. As a consequence, much of the burden of
applying any of these to real world practice is limited and largely
unrecognized. In my exploration of non-linear dynamics, I've improved my
ability to recognize and discard flawed or inferior models and integrate
more fluid and superior ones that demonstrate the essence of OT services.
What I presented this year at the Snowflake Conference was my latest work in
the area of human cognition and how the ambiguity of this term can lead to
aberrant data transposition. I proposed a way to use a nonlinear approach to
cognition that placed the onus on the interaction of the practitioner and
the patient, which establishes a collaborative and contextual baseline for
performance.

By making cognitive function more explicit, many of the theoretical OT
models lost coherence, making it clear to me that inclusion of the
fundamentals of nonlinear dynamics permits practitioners to not only create
models that more accurately describe and direct the outcome of
rehabilitation services, but require and deeply support engagement in
relationship-centered practice. This element will be further demonstrated
in my upcoming paper on ³Activities for Dynamic Living² that I plan to share
at Snowflake '09.