Keywords
social participation
"meaningful activity"
Social Inclusion
How to Cite
Abstract
Contemporary occupational therapy has undergone a progressive conceptual transformation from models predominantly focused on function and rehabilitation toward approaches centered on participation, inclusion, and occupational justice. This article presents a documentary and reflective analysis of the definitions proposed by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT), integrating critical and Latin American perspectives that broaden the understanding of occupation as a human, social, historical, and culturally situated phenomenon. The paper also examines contemporary challenges for occupational therapy in Costa Rica, particularly regarding service decentralization, access to professional education, and professional consolidation across different levels of care.
The analysis supports the occupational therapy 2026 conceptual proposal developed by the Occupational Therapy School at Universidad Santa Paula, aimed at strengthening inclusive, contextualized, critical, and socially committed practices. Finally, the article highlights the need to consolidate educational models capable of responding to the social and territorial inequalities that shape occupational participation opportunities in contemporary Latin American contexts.
References
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Copyright (c) 2026 Erick Valdelomar-Marín, Gina A. Parra-Montañez, Eilyn Arce-Chavarria, Francisco Monge-Román, Hans Jiménez-Arauz, María José Hidalgo-Araya