The evolving theory of clinical reasoning

This chapter explores clinical reasoning in occupational therapy. It provides an overview of the development of clinical reasoning in occupational therapy, definitions of the different types of clinical reasoning, and explains how acquisition of expertise is promoted through clinical reasoning. A major review of clinical reasoning research is then presented. While it has long been established that clinical reasoning enables therapists to integrate theory into practice, the final section of the chapter examines the process of theory development and maps this against developments and research growth in the area of clinical reasoning in occupational therapy. Hence, this chapter builds an argument that clinical reasoning is developing into a theory,