The objects supply sensory cues, and most of the concrete information that human beings use is visual.
To pay attention to cues, people within ACL 3.4 require carer assistance with setting up the material objects that will capture attention, cues to start and stop activities, and checks for effectiveness of their actions.
Sorting Grooming Supplies
Many girls and women find hair ornaments appealing and the assortment of bright colours adds to their attraction.
The organisation and storage of them is a challenge that requires vigilance to prevent chaos. The top bowl shows them being tied together with a black gross grain ribbon, which I liked the best of these three methods. The bottom right bowl uses the plastic clips that come with a loaf of bread, but one broke easily while I was setting up. The bottom left bowl uses a carabiner clip but I found it snagged on the fabric rather easily.
The set-up for grooming supplies is complicated by too many choices. Attention can be sustained longer when the supplies are organised and the choices are limited. Separate bowls, such as the ones in the previous picture, help people select one.
The objects provided determine what the person is going to have an opportunity to do. Coming up with ideas about what is apt to capture their attention has been quite a challenge that you can benefit from. Please share your discoveries with others on the forum at https://www.acdmweb.com.
Matching Thick Erasers
Theoretically, this matching activity should happen within ACL 3.6 because it is matching by shape, but I have not tested it. I am curious about the possibility that it might be done within ACL 3.4, because I have structured everything to make it easier and they may be able to match by colour. In real life, objects can fit into different classifications.
It is here as a reminder that the theory is not always correct and pilot testing is always necessary. The 25 modes are so sensitive that it is easy to be off by a mode, up or down. So, why bother? We often need to make critical decisions, accurately, in a hurry.
Matching Flat Erasers
Compare the pictures of the thick erasers above with these erasers to see why this activity is harder. It is harder because the colours do not differentiate as well. With experience, you will learn to recognise degrees of difficulty within a profile.
Sorting Post-It Notes by Colour
The set-up can have an impact on the quality of information that the person is able to process.
With the set-up in this picture (using different shaped and coloured post-it notes), a person in ACL 3.4 might only pick out the bright yellow and hot pink pairs.
The same materials with the addition of a sorting tray, yields a different quality of performance. The sorting tray organises the quality of their thoughts so that they pay attention to classifications of colour as shown in this picture.
As you can see in the above picture, the sorting tray did not allow for four shapes to be included. Both the size and the depth of the sorting tray are apt to influence the person's ability to sort. The depth matters because they will not lean forward to peer into a deeper sorting tray.
The person's ability did not change but their experience did and so did their sustained attention. While it is hard to read facial expressions to get a happiness rating, the stop watch gives us an objective measure of sustained attention. The two measures combined give better credibility and are behind the expression "happy and occupied."