Within ACL 5.4 the person requires one demonstration of the single cordovan stitch in order to complete the stitch successfully. When using the copying activity, they perceive the spatial properties of the spaces between the tiles required to achieve an accurate fit. In the stenciling activity, the stencils are carefully placed into position. In the kite activity, they position the pieces carefully including leaving a small space in the corner pieces. In the ironing activity the pieces are careful placed before ironing them in place.
Interviews
People functioning within ACL 5 can talk and tell you about their history in doing activities. Educational and work histories are safe places to start an interview. Standardized interviews rarely help in the selection of activities because the person usually tells you what they think you want to hear.
Asking them to describe a typical day prior to the onset of this decrease in ability to function can provide information about the number of hours that are apt to be vacant now. Listen for clues and ask questions about activities that contain the quality of information that captures their attention now. Informal conversations and reminiscing about activities they used to do can give you leads on the type of activities that are apt to appeal to them.
Can Say & Can Do
Try to verify their pattern of performance with activities that appeal to the individual. When the person is giving you no clues, use the examples of activities. No single activity can predict a pattern of performance because people are too variable.
When a person has a history of doing arts and crafts, do your best to verify their ACL score with an activity that is new to the individual. Within ACL 5, the evaluation of overt trial and error learning abilities is apt to be too high when the person uses prior knowledge. The repeated question is; "Have you ever done anything like this before?" If yes, try to identify an activity they have not done and is not toxic. Iron-on bonding for fabric appliques is often an unfamiliar product.
Getting Acquainted
Do strive to get a comprehensive picture of who this person is, which should include: how well they are functioning now (current ACL), how well they have been functioning (prior ACL), what kind of activities they like to do, and what kind of social and financial supports they can depend upon.
To Verify
For people recovering from hip replacements or with hemiplegia, the use of a sock aid should be developed into an evaluative activity. Learning how to use one probably requires ACL 5.4 abilities because adjusting the tool requires attention to 3D fit.
To Rule Out
The inability to note secondary consequences confirms the score of ACL 5.4. Anticipating and preventing unwanted results in surface appearances and spatial fit do not enter the scale until ACL 5.6 and 5.8, respectively.