Observations of eating become the evaluative activity of last resort when a person refuses to do any other activity. People who are trying to hide a cognitive disability often avoid doing anything that would give them away. Many people will do craft projects because they have no face validity.
Key eating observations are included in the following descriptions.
Feeding Themselves
A person functioning in ACL 4 High will rotate plates, bowls or containers to reach items. While they are all able to feed themselves, there are different qualities that characterise their eating habits. Adjusting the pressure for cutting one's food enters the scale in ACL 4.6. Until they are able to function in ACL 5.0, they often hit the items harder or longer rather than adjusting the pressure to gain a more effective result.
Their slow information processing speed is readily apparent in how long it takes them to eat a meal which may be two to three times slower. Slow eating speed might be hurried up for a short period of time within ACL 4.6. In ACL 4.8, they tend to plod along.
Within ACL 4 High, the person is likely to look around and want something that someone else maybe having.
Within ACL 4.6, learning to prevent spills and other errors is sporadic, but within ACL 4.8, rote learning of precautions is possible.
Within ACL 4 High, the only solution to opening unusual or tricky containers is to pull harder.
Meal Time
An awareness of meal time enters the scale with the appearance and smell of food in ACL 2. Food is a powerful motivator for obvious reasons. The clock is not apt to become a signal until ACL 5. Within ACL 4, meal time is apt to be signalled by sensory events in their surroundings or by feeling hungry. Independent arrival at the table / dining room may begin within ACL 4.4, especially when there are strong sensory cues and a hungry person.
Social Awareness
Eating and talking at the same time is not expected within ACL 4. They are apt to not say a word while they are at the table. If they do talk, they usually stop eating to talk. Talking during a meal enters the scale in ACL 4.6. When they do, they usually look around the table to locate the people they are talking to. The conversation may be limited to a request for a food item.
Within ACL 4.6, a brief effort to conform may be made. Rigid conformity is apt to occur within ACL 4.8, and rigidity usually causes their eating to slow down.
Special Diet
Meeting special dietary needs is influenced by how new the diet is to the person. Familiar special diets are recognised and followed about the same way as prior to the onset of a cognitive disability. A history of poor or non-compliance is common when you get to know the person.
New diets are not recognised or understood at all until ACL 4.6, when they may be willing to accept diet changes without resistance. Minimum assistance will probably still be needed to monitor compliance with special diets because the abstract concepts in most special diets are not understood. They may be willing, but cannot understand the reason for the special diet until ACL 6.