Introduction
Here are some questions to ask yourself to better understand how well the timing and structure of a task and daily routines use the strengths and meet the needs of a person and their cognitive abilities. These questions are based on brain functioning and specific cognitive skills. However, you do not need to know anything about the brain or cognition to ask them. These are just a few of many possible questions.
These questions are organized under six general intervention concepts that address needs a person might frequently experience while performing a task.
The questions should be answered with a particular person in mind, since each person has different needs, strengths, and desires, and therefore, different skills and challenges they bring to a task. They should also be answered frequently enough to accommodate changes in this person’s needs, strengths, and desires.
Your answers to these questions can suggest effective intervention strategies (that is, support strategies) that modify the task or timing of tasks to help this person think, feel comfortable, and to successfully accomplish the task. These intervention strategies can meet this person’s cognitive needs, as well as rely on and build on this person’s cognitive strengths.
The task and daily routines include all tasks, for example, activities of daily living (such as self care grooming and hygiene tasks, various housekeeping tasks, riding the bus, preparing food, shopping) and leisure activities.
The “CAIS Task and Daily Routines Questions to Ask: Four Point Response Format” and the “CAIS Task and Daily Routines Questions to Ask: Yes/No Response Format” are two options to use for answering these questions. They each have the same questions. Choose the response format you prefer or that best fits the situation.
Suggestions of intervention strategies (that is, support strategies) tailored to your responses to these questions can be found in the Cognitive Abilities and Intervention Strategies (CAIS): Task and Daily Routines Intervention Strategies.
The complete CAIS Questions to Ask and the CAIS Intervention Strategies including all four parts (with the titles: 1. Cognitive Abilities; 2. Environment; 3. Communication; and 4. Task and Daily Routines), are available in this interactive format and as downloadable and printable pdf documents. These along with more detailed instructions, resources, and other information about the CAIS and related topics are on the Improving MI Practices website at https://improvingmipractices.org
