Rate My Professor Cynthia Abbott-Gaffney

Cynthia Abbott-Gaffney, OTD, MA, OTR/L, FAOTA, serves as an assistant professor of instruction in the occupational therapy program within the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at Temple University's College of Public Health. She earned her Doctor of Occupational Therapy from Boston University in 2019, Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy from New York University in 1996, and Bachelor of Science in Recreational Therapy from Montclair State University in 1992. She also holds a post-professional certificate in Assistive Technology from Stockton University in 2009. With over 28 years as an occupational therapy practitioner, she has expertise in traumatic and acquired brain injury rehabilitation and pediatric community, home, and school-based interventions. Notable roles include Program Manager of the Community Re-Entry Team at MossRehab's Woodbury Drucker Brain Injury Center from 2003 to 2008, supervising 15 therapists and staff; Manager of New Jersey Brain Injury Services from 2000 to 2003; Manager of the MossRehab Clubhouse Program from 1998 to 1999; and Occupational Therapist and Clinical Case Manager at MossRehab Hospital from 1996 to 1998. Since 2006, she has worked as an independent contractor providing consultation, evaluations, and telehealth services.

Dr. Abbott-Gaffney's academic interests focus on telehealth delivery of occupational therapy services in underserved areas, offsetting global practitioner shortages, and leveraging assistive technology alongside telehealth for enhanced efficiency and collaboration. Her doctoral project investigated best practice training's impact on telehealth adoption in school-based practice. She authored 'Telehealth in occupational therapy practice: Variations in Medicaid reimbursement in 7 states' in 2018 and serves on the editorial review board of the Open Journal of Occupational Therapy. A Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer from the Brain Injury Association of America’s Academy of Certified Brain Injury Specialists, she has presented at professional conferences on resuming occupations after brain injury and pediatric interventions. She received MossRehab Hospital Excellence Awards for Grace Under Fire and Business Builder. Dr. Abbott-Gaffney teaches graduate courses including Theoretical Perspectives in Occupational Therapy, Occupational Therapy Practice: Assistive Technology, Research Methodologies, and Doctoral Capstone projects.