|
Introduction |
|||||||||
|
Research into how the brain works, has led scientists into discovering that when a new task is performed repeatedly it eventually becomes a habit, therefore 'much of our normal behavior depends on learning to perform entire action sequences so smoothly that we carry them out almost without conscious thought or effort' - Graybiel (2002) Also, research scientists have observed that overall brain activity decreases during the time it takes to do repetitive tasks, and increases at the beginning and end of doing a novel task or activity. New learning involves whole brain activity and for the brain to hold an image of what is occurring, whilst working out the next step in the process of learning, will cause the whole brain to become alight with energy effort. It became clear to researchers (such as Raichle, 1998; Karni, 2001; Passingham, 1998 and Haier, 1992; who are involved in skill learning experiments) that paying focal, effortful attention to doing a new task, or listening intently to new information, calls the whole brain into action. The brain does not behave like a collection of isolated pathways, each doing their own thing, but as one coherent, comprehensive and coordinated system. Unfortunately whole brain activity, or the global ability to function, is not totally possible for people with deficits in functional cognition (cognitive disabilities), therefore the innate ability to rapidly download 'bright' awareness that McCrone, 1999 stated, "seems to be the real key to the brain's enormous processing abilities" has for whatever reason been prevented from occurring. The Allen's Cognitive Levels describe the possible degrees of whole brain activity and the activity that can be expected at each level.mode. This web site is dedicated to: the dissemination of information about functional cognition; understanding the complications associated with cognitive disability; management of the 'backward slide'; and the conduct of ongoing research into cognitive disability theory and application. As a basis for general reading, the book 'Midlife's Challenge: Understanding and Coping with Decline in Thinking and Behaviour' is available for purchase. This book was written to assist caregivers to understand what is happening to them as they go about their roles as a caregiver. It speaks about the tremendous stress associated with caregiving and describe what is biologically happening to those for whom they are caring with deficits in functional cognition. It gives healthcare clinicians a base of knowledge before branching into reading the recent publications of the three clinical books that have been written in the past three years. These include:
Read more in the pages of this website about these publications and standardized assessments available for healthcare clinicians who wish to further their knowledge and skill bases in Functional Cognition. |
|||||||||
| Announcements | |||||||||
|
Allen’s Cognitive Levels: Functional Cognition Presenters Delaune Pollard, AccOT, Allen Expert Cognitive Advisor, Queensland, Australia Cathy Hill, BOccThy, Mental Health Occupational Therapist, Queensland, Australia When Friday, 6 June, 2008 and Saturday, 7 June, 2008 Target Audience for Day 1 Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Speech Pathologists, Psychologists and other Healthcare Clinicians and Healthcare Administrators Target Audience for Day 2 Occupational Therapists – training in the use of the Allen Battery Course Location Leukaemia Foundation Conference Room 100 Angus Smith Drive, Douglas Townsville Qld 4814 Cost of course in Australian Dollars
Further 2 day training course to be held in Brisbane on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 August, 2008. Please register your interest by contacting Delaune Pollard on the email address provided
Contact Details email to: delaune@allencogadvisor.com
~~~~~~~ Members of the Allen Cognitive Advisors, Ltd. are to present the
2008 Allen Symposium 7th Annual Allen Cognitive Network - Symposium in Cognition Boston, November 7 and 8, 2008 For further information please contact the Allen Cognitive Advisors Ltd. Website webmaster at: |
|||||||||
| Articles | |||||||||
| Why is it so difficult to get others to understand? | |||||||||
|
Over the past twenty years healthcare delivery systems for people with deficits in functional cognition have significantly changed, particularly for people with mental health disorders. The majority of these people now live in the community with assistance from a range of community supports. Unfortunately, many are not receiving the degree of cognitive assistance they need to allow them to live safely and live as independently as possible. Worldwide governments are acknowledging that these people are not able to consistently take medication, are not able to budget their money or keep appointments or attend necessary community group functions. A similar scenario is occurring for aged care people with deficits in functional cognition leaving family members perplexed as to how to assist. The use of cognitive assessments that rely on testing procedural memory, which is often referred to as long term memory, or tests that combine questions, pen and paper, assembling blocks, as well as doing routine tasks, end up testing an array of different memories. These types of cognitive assessments do not give a true indication of how a person with deficits in functional cognition will manage in the community, or the percentage of assistance they require to live to the 'Best of Their Ability'. Also, importantly, such assessments do not identify the real safety and emergency issues... |
|||||||||
| Evidence Based Information on the Theory & Practice of Cognitive Disabilities | |||||||||
| Claudia Kay Allen, MA, OTR, FAOTA,
developed
The Allen's Theory on Cognitive Disabilities
and
The Allen's Cognitive Levels
with the resulting development of
The Allen
Battery of Assessments.
The Allen Battery of Assessments provides consistent, reliable and quality documentation that demonstrates the level/mode/patterns of performance in all areas of a person's life. This information is documented under the headings of behavior, assistance required, goals to be met and the safety issues that need to be addressed. It was during the late 1960s and early 1970s that Claudia Allen began researching cognitive theories and started recording observations of bodily behaviors. The first descriptions of the cognitive levels were critiqued in these early years. Allen, her colleagues and students realised that people with deficits in functional cognition were no longer able to effectively learn to do, or could not learn to do, an activity or task in a new or different way. |
|||||||||
| Allen Cognitive Advisors | |||||||||
| How can they assist? | |||||||||
| Components of the Allen Battery | |||||||||
| The various tools used during cognitive assessment. | |||||||||
| History of the Development of The Allen's Cognitive Levels, Board Members and Symposium Highlights including 2006 | |||||||||
|
The history of the development of the Cognitive Levels has resulted from a fine balancing act between what could be learned from theoretical literature, and its relation to experiments and observations, and the requirements of clinical practice. The development of the Cognitive Levels by Professor Allen has followed a pattern that, essentially, has remained constant. |
|||||||||
| Research into Allen's Cognitive Levels | |||||||||
|
Allen's cognitive levels research is documented in the book, Cognition and Occupation in Rehabilitation: Cognitive Models for Intervention in Occupational Therapy, by Noomi Katz, PhD, OTR (Editor) as the chapter titled Cognition Disabilities Model: How to Make Clinical Judgements, jointly researched and written by Claudia K. Allen, MA, OTR/L, FAOTA and Tina Blue, OTR/L, (1998). |
|||||||||
| Allen Cognitive Advisors, Ltd | |||||||||
|
The requirement for research into understanding how human beings create meaning through their actions, led to the bonding together of a group of twelve Occupational and Physical Therapists who came together for the purpose of studying the complexities of the Cognitive Levels. All twelve therapists became members of the Board of Allen Cognitive Advisors Ltd., a Board formed in Madison, Wisconsin, USA in 2002 as a non-profit making educational organisation. Each board member is a qualified professional, certified at an advanced level as an Allen Cognitive Advisor, having mastered the administration, interpretation and education/teaching requirements of the Allen Cognitive Disability Theory. Delaune Pollard, is an Australian AccOT who is qualified at the advanced level as an Allen Cognitive Advisor, is a founding member and is the only Australian and first foreign national, to be invited to be a member of the Board. Following a highly successful first ‘Symposium in Cognition’ held at The University College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota, USA, in October, 2002, Delaune was inspired to develop a series of training programs for Healthcare Clinicians in Australasia. Since this time Delaune with colleagues in Australia, New Zealand and USA have run a succession of Functional Cognition Training Programs (See Training Section). |
|||||||||
| Resources | |||||||||
| References | |||||||||
| A comprehensive listing of works that relate to Allen's Cognitive Levels. | |||||||||
| Links | |||||||||
| Links to other relevant sites. |