Allen's Cognitive Levels

Level 1:

Automatic Actions

• Lowest end of cognitive disability levels
• Motor actions are mainly reflexive
• Moving fingers and toes, blinking in response to bright lights

Level 2: Postural Actions

Level 6: Planned Actions

• Do not have a cognitive disability
• Able to think deductively
• Can consider the past, present and future when making a decision
• Attend and respond to symbolic cues

• Responds best to proprioceptive cues
• Motivated by comfort
• Able to imitate movements, although may not be exact

Allen's Cognitive Levels

1 to 6

Level 5: Exploratory Actions

Level 3: Manual Actions

• Unable to plan ahead or anticipate what happens next
• Accident prone
• Able to learn by verbal instructions as well as other cues used with lower levels

• Some self-care can be done at this level
• Responds to tactile cues, as well as proprioceptive cues
• Can imitate actions that are demonstrated
• No new learning takes place

At Level 5.6, individuals are aware of the social and physical ramifications of their actions. At any level lower than 5.6, an individual may be able to acknowledge conflict and understand the concept of winning or losing an argument, but they do not understand perceptions that others may have.

Level 4: Goal Directed Actions

• Many self-care tasks can be done independently
• Responds well to visual cues

ACL Mode 4.6 is the lowest level at which an individual can be left alone.

However, if left alone there must still be protection and supervision provided.

Allen's Cognitive Levels clinically defines six cognitive levels and 53 cognitive modes which gives Occupational Therapists a detailed framework for serving clients with cognitive disabilities.

Evaluation

The ACL Screen

When this test is administered, the therapist will direct the individual to do three leather-lacing stitches with increasing levels of difficulty. The therapist will observe how well the individual attends to visual, sensory and motor skills, as well as their problem solving ability.

This is a quick screening that only takes 5-15 minutes. There is also a modified, larger version for those with visual impairments.

The ACL Screen is a standardized test that has word for word instructions, demonstrations and questions that are used to estimate an individual's cognitive level.

Allen's Cognitive Levels

Three Stitches & What it Tells Us

By: Lauren Minson

The Running Stitch

• Health and well being
• Dressing, grooming, bathe, walking and swallowing

The Whip Stitch

• Problem solving abilities
• preparing meals, remembering to take medicine and responding to emergency situations

The Cordovan Stitch

• Processes Information
• Living independently and caring for others

Claudia Allen, the woman responsible for Allen's Cognitive Levels, defines a cognitive disability as "a global incapacity to do universal human activities. A biologically determined lack of attention impairs awareness of environmental cues but may spare memories of prior knowledge"

If you are interested in learning more about Allen's Cognitive Levels, please take a look at this link!

http://www.allen-cognitive-network.org

Cole, M., Tufano, R. (2008). Applied theories in

occupational therapy. Thorofare, NJ: SLACK Incorporated.

(Cole & Tufano, 2008, p. 185)

Types of health condition that includes cognitive deficits:

• Dementia
• Acquired head injuries
• Chronic mental illnesses
• Chronic diseases affecting the nervous system
• Developmental disabilities