Within ACL 4 High, rote learning provides for more variety in simple hot meal preparation, i.e. a can of soup or TV dinners.
Meal Preparation with Assistance
Within ACL 4.6, the person might be provided with the opportunity to prepare well-learned dishes. A demonstration along with rote learning is required for the person to learn new tasks. Carers will need to avoid harmful effects and solve new problems related to food preparation, storage and clean-up.
Long-Term Learning
Within ACL 4 High, the person might be provided with the opportunity to slowly learn new methods of food preparation by rote, with assistance to solve new problems and avoid complications.
Demonstrate new tasks (recipes) one step at a time.
Storage
Within ACL 4 High, the person is able to scan visible counters, shelves for needed items in the pantry or grocery store.
Eating Out
When eating out of the home, they may prefer opportunities to order the same items from a menu at a restaurant or purchase the same food items from a store day after day.
Simple Meals
At home, they may prefer opportunities to prepare a simple meal with a few ingredients invariantly after a demonstration, without having to follow a written recipe.
Within ACL 4.8, the person may memorise a new sequence of actions to prepare a dish, slowly, one step at a time. They can usually attend to all striking features (colour, shape, size, number of items (up to four), and linear information) as they work, and can follow a written recipe in a rigid manner, asking for verification of the meaning of directions.
Reading Recipes
While they may be able to read the recipe aloud, they will probably not comprehend what they read. Reading comprehension is not apt to appear in levels lower than ACL 4.8, when it is undependable.
Microwave
The person may be able to use a microwave to reheat precooked meals if familiar with microwave use with precautions routinely carried out such as not heating up metal objects and being cautious of hot containers and steam.
Select a common time that will apply to most of the items that are cooked in the microwave, e.g. two minutes. Have the person puncture holes if that is required by most items. Wrap masking tape around the entire box of exceptions and write the number for the change of time. Add the word "No" for no puncture within ACL 4 High. Add directions for stop and stir in ACL 4.8.
Hot Preparation
A carer should be present during the preparation of hot meals or dishes that require the use of stoves, ovens or sharp knives until it is verified that the person can use these items safely.
When pouring liquids, the person may need assistance to limit the amount to avoid spills because they are not very steady with full containers.
The person may attempt to individualise a dish by changing, adding, or eliminating an ingredient, without awareness of the effects on the outcome. They may ask for supplies used in the past that are not visible and the supply may not be useful in the current context.
Safety
Supervision of the kitchen set up may be needed to provide safe tools, preparation of familiar foods, limiting access to cold or room-temperature ingredients, and making sure that needed ingredients are in visible locations.
A supervisor will probably be needed to demonstrate safety procedures that can be learned by rote such as turning pot handles inward, unplugging appliances after use, or angling cuts away from fingers. They can learn proper amounts of serving portions, including not overfilling glasses or bowls. Reinforce compliance with dietary restrictions by identifying forbidden foods / liquids, clarifying new food items, and demonstrating proper food portions. Carers must plan for long-term food needs.
Within ACL 4 High, they can increase the pressure applied to objects. This increased pressure can also break things.
Setting the Table
Setting the table can be done in the usual fashion by procedural memory beginning within ACL 3.6. Within ACL 4 High, the person may enjoy changing the table cloth, plates, or other features of the table setting.
Clean Up
They may be encouraged to clean-up but will require assistance with missed dirt or soap on plates and utensils. If they try to load the dishwasher, they may need assistance with correct stacking.
Carers must check for the hygienic quality of clean-up.
Leftovers
Someone else must cue or take care of the storage of leftovers and assist with discarding spoiled or out of date food.
Grocery Shopping
Within ACL 4.6, the person will begin to include supplies that need to be replaced. They may be willing to substitute for a missing familiar item, but they are not apt to check food inventories and may run out of essentials frequently.
Within ACL 4.8, the person should be able to learn to follow by rote a weekly schedule for purchasing food items at a grocery store that includes a balanced diet or special dietary needs.
The rote learning of ACL 4.8 should result in taking an inventory of food on hand; the process is apt to be a careful examination of all visible objects and comparing what they see to a written list, item by item. The sequence will be followed invariantly and their actions may be slower than normal.
Someone else will need to prevent fires from cigarettes and burns by restricting contact with stoves, irons and other high heat sources.