Title of Assessment
Allen's Cognitive Level Screen (ACLS)
Author(s)
Claudia K. Allen MA, OTR, FAOTA
Year of Publication/Publisher
1985 by ACLA and LACLA Committee
Identify Type of Assessment
Standardized
performance-based
evidence-based
theory-based
Cost & How to Access Assessment
$146.50
https://www.therapro.com/Allen-Cognitive-Level-Screen-5_10.html
Population
Adults and geriatrics with cognitive impairments, brain injuries, vision impairments, mental illnesses, fine motor impairments
Appropriate Settings
Skilled nursing facility
assisted living
in-patient rehab
clubhouses
home health
mental health
outpatient
acute
schools
Purpose of Assessment & Function(s)/Area(s) Assessed
Purpose: Provide quick understanding of the client’s learning, problem solving, and performance abilities and limitations for healthcare professionals to measure functional cognition.
Functions/areas assessed:
Learning potential
Ability to follow steps
Cognitive processing
Motor movements/fine motor skills
Decision making
Administration
No longer than 20 minutes
intended for individual therapy
Demonstrate and tell instructions to the client first before they begin each sewing section, sewing patterns are specific and should be followed
There is the running stitch that assess ADL abilities, the whip stitch that assesses problem-solving abilities, and the cordovan stitch that shows the client’s processing abilities
User Qualifications
Any healthcare professional with experience with individuals with cognitive impairments
Materials Required
A pre-punched leather rectangle
A blunt sewing needle
Two brass threaded locking needles
Waxed linen thread
Leather lace
Scoring Procedure
Scoring is based on stitching performance. The more stitches the client performs correctly the more points they will receive. The points are correlated to certain cognitive levels. This test only is used with individuals that have a score range from 3.0-5.8. The levels range from 0-6, indicating 0 is comatose and unaware of orientation and the world around them, 1 is very impaired cognition and awareness that requires 247 care, 2 (large body movements) is minor movements can occur but 24/7 care is still needed, 3 (manual actions) is when individuals need help with ADLs and IADLs often and need cueing but not as much help is needed, 4 (familiar activity) is when safety issues and problem-solving may be challenging but client may be able to live alone and need routine, 5 (learning new activities) is when cognitive impairment is mild, and 6 reflects normal cognition.
Psychometrics/Standardization
Inter-rater reliability is good
good validity
unbiased measure
concurrent validity is adequate
test-retest consistency may be less reliable
Strengths & Weaknesses of Assessment
Strengths:
Provides health professional insight on many abilities of client
Client-centered
Easy to administer
No training required
Many different kinds- large, disposable, standard
Weaknesses:
Limits participations in individuals with physical disabilities
Not occupation-based
Older assessment
Time consuming for certain populations- major cognitive decline
References
Allen cognitive level screen. (n.d.). Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Retrieved March 16, 2024, from https://www.sralab.org/rehabilitation-measures/allen-cognitive-level-screen
Allen cognitive level screen-5. (n.d.). Retrieved March 16, 2024, from https://www.therapro.com/Allen-Cognitive-Level-Screen-5_10.html
Heerema, E. (2017, April 24). What is the allen cognitive level screen? Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-the-allen-cognitive-level-screen-4129962
Psychometrics evidence. (2017, March 20). Allen Cognitive Group. https://allencognitive.com/psychometrics-evidence/