Last Updated: 01 February 2017

Authors: C.K. Allen, S.L. Austin, S. K. David, C. A. Earhart, D. B. McCraith, & L. Riska-Williams

Publisher: ACLS and LACLS Committee, Camarillo, CA, USA, Copyright ©2007

Description: This 5th version of the Allen cognitive level screen with a revised and updated 66 page manual is an evidence based* screening assessment for use with the Allen cognitive disabilities model. The screen consists of learning 3 visual-motor tasks (leather lacing stitches) with increasingly complex activity demands.  Completion of the 3 tasks requires that the person attend to, understand, and use sensory & motor cues from material objects (leather, lace & needles), administrator’s verbal & demonstrated instructions & cues, & feedback from motor actions while making the stitches.  Scores are interpreted using the Allen Cognitive Scale of levels and modes of performance as well as other information about the person’s history, interests, context, etc.  The Screen is available in 3 forms:  standard ACLS, LACLS for persons with vision or hand function problems, & disposable form (LACLS[D]) for persons with whom infection control is required.  *For ACLS-5 and LACLS-5 Test: Psychometric Properties and Use of Scores for Evidence-Based Practice, visit www.allencognitive.org.

Sources: Allen Cognitive Group, www.allencognitive.org; Dementia Care Specialists,  https://www.crisisprevention.com; S&S Worldwide,  http://www.ssww.com; and Therapro,  http://www.therapro.com. The manual & leather-lacing tools are available separately or as a kit. For more detailed information:

• Visit the publisher’s website at www.allencognitive.org for updates, new resources, videos, educational offerings, etc.

• Download the one-page PDF handout below that includes the information above plus brief description of purpose, construct being measured, intended use and populations, who may administer/score/interpret scores, what's new in version 5, and references. This PDF handout has been approved for copying and distributing by the ACLS and LACLS Committee, copyright 2016.

PDF Handout - ACLS-5 and LACLS-5

Last Updated: 14 February 2017

 Author: Catherine A. Earhart, BA, OTR/L

Publisher: S&S Worldwide, Colchester, CT (2006)

 Description: The Allen Diagnostic Module-2^nd edition (ADM-2) (Earhart, 2006) consists of 35 standardized activity assessments of functional cognition developed by occupational therapists within the framework of the cognitive disabilities model.  ADMs provide opportunities for individuals to demonstrate available cognitive abilities as they engage in new learning and problem solving to make a useful object, such as a placemat, visor, or box.

 ADMs are designed to include an identified range of activity demands of varying complexity.  During administration, practitioners adjust social and physical cues to match and support the individual’s identified “best ability to function.”  The external cues present ideal conditions and an opportunity for the individual to effectively engage in the activity.

 ADMs may be used to verify results of the Allen Cognitive Level Screen (ACLS-5) assessment or as serial assessments to identify a pattern of performance as part of a comprehensive functional evaluation.

 The ADM-2nd edition manual contains reviewed Guidelines for use that clarify theoretical contrusts derived from the cogntive disabilities model, as well as updating rating criteria in assessment protocols for several assessments.

 Source:The ADM-2^nd edition manual and pre-assembled standardized test kits for all ADM assessments are available for purchase from S&S Worldwide at www.ssww.com.  

For more information: Downloadable assessment protocols with instructions for self-manufacturing standardized test kits for specified ADMs are available at www.allencognitive.org.  

ADM Handout 2017

Last Updated: 01 February 2017

Author: Noomi Katz, PhD, OTR

Note: Manual for the RTI-E is available as a free PDF download on this website.

Description: The Routine Task Inventory was introduced by Claudia Allen in 1985 as an assessment of cognitive abilities in the context of routine daily activities. In 1989, Claudia Allen developed an expanded version of the original Routine Task Inventory (RTI-E). The RTI-E is widely used in clinical practice in Israel where it has also been used in several research studies. Noomi Katz, PhD, OTR, Director of the Research Institute for the Health & Medical Professions, Ono Academic College, Kiryat, Ono, Israel, has recently developed a manual for the RTI-E in 2006 in order to encourage others to use this tool in clinical practice and research.

Read more ...