A heritage of activity: development of theory.

T o achieve a professional level of competence, an occupational therapist must be able to translate a body of know ledge into a plan of action tha t faci] i ta tes change in a predicted direction. Clinical practice is grounded on a theoretical base. The aim of this presentation is to increase understanding of theory and the ways it can be linked to practice. To accomplish this task, theory is initially viewed from a broad perspective before attention is focused on its specific relation to intervention. The discussion first examines the structure and function of theory, its development and verification, and