Classification, within the ACLs, is the organisation of material objects and actions into groups. The simplest groups are formed in ACL 3.6 by sorting material objects that are alike, one criterion at a time. Striking colours, elementary shapes and easily seen differences in size are the features that capture their attention.

The concept of all of the objects or all of the space captures their attention within ACL 3.8. Classification is still closely connected to the perceivable features of the material objects that are in front of them.

Within ACL 3 High, adults with a cognitive disability who have a history of abstract information for decades before the onset of a cognitive disability display the following pattern:

• No attention is paid to abstract information.
• An abstract word is seldom spoken. If one is spoken, it is usually a habit, done automatically.

When the person is able to use the concept of a line to guide their manual action, this strengthens the intentionality of their actions. They may appear to be completing goal-directed actions but their inability to classify the information reduces their ability to perform goal-directed actions.

Familiar landmarks are recognised and reassure the person that they know where they are and where they are going.

Within ACL 3 High, they may forget where they are going but recognise a location along the way or when they get there.

A person in good physical condition may walk for hours without picking their head up and looking around at any landmarks until they stop.

When the position of their head is down and their hair is not combed in back, their sense of space is limited to the front of their body. What is happening on their back or behind them does not capture their attention.

When a person asks what day it is, the person is trying to keep track of the passage of time.

The regular schedules of self-care and interesting actions requires initiation and prompting by a carer. The sense of time is organisation by the sequence, which is recognised and contributes to the formation of a sense of security. When the next event happens as usual, the person is reassured. Irregularities and nothing to do for hours may be connected to troublesome behaviours.

Role Classifications

Other people are classified the same way that material objects are classified: body size and shape, skin and hair colour, and clothing size, colour and shape. Activity group leaders are called teacher and they are compliant without question of the instruction or the selection of the activity.

Whereabouts

To let family and friends know about changes in your whereabouts is a social norm that is assumed that every adult understands and has a right to make a choice about.

Their possessions are recognised when clothing, their bed and place to sit are present.

Concrete currency in familiar coins and bills may be exchanged with procedural memories without their understanding of monetary value or counting their change.

Their recognition of their need for a residence and someone else to provide food and clothing fades away. Wandering off and getting lost with unknown whereabouts or living on the streets may be prevented by locking the doors. Their understanding of time is not much longer than an hour and their sense of independence is limited to that timeframe.

Their access to past memories of who they were in the past seems to be related to the content that is capturing their attention now. When surprising comments about the past are made, an association with a perceivable cue can usually be confirmed by the person. When asked to describe their past, their narratives name significant contents but are usually silent or vague about salient details such as how well, what was the best and worst part, how often, under what circumstances, or who else was there.