Occupational Therapy and the Allen Cognitive Levels

Occupational Therapy and the Allen Cognitive Levels

Occupational therapy is a therapeutic process designed to increase an individual’s capacity for daily tasks. The therapist utilizes various strategies and techniques in order to reach these outcomes.

Occupational therapy (OT) is an integral component of rehabilitation and long-term care for people with disabilities (e.g., spinal cord injuries) or chronic medical conditions. OTs offer skills and knowledge to increase an individual’s capacity for self-care, home management, work-related tasks, leisure activities, as well as community participation.

The Allen Cognitive Levels, commonly referred to as ACL for short, are six levels that indicate one’s functional capacity and ability to complete specific tasks with varying degrees of ease. With this model as a guideline, therapists create client-centered plans that maximize an individual’s capabilities while still meeting safety and supervision needs.

The CMT assesses attention to detail, directional orientation and the capacity to complete seven tasks with minimal assistance. The AMPS is a computerized version of the CMT with excellent test-retest reliability. It boasts several unique features like plenty of options for test administrators as well as an user friendly yet highly effective interactive interface.

Best of all, the AMPS is both affordable and quick to administer. As such, it has become widely used by healthcare practitioners to assess cognition in various settings. Though it has a high false-positive rate, no test administrator or expensive equipment is needed; anyone qualified with appropriate training can administer it successfully.