1. Provide Physical Boundaries
Some students may have proprioceptive processing difficulty which can make it challenging for them to know where their body is in space. This can lead to them invading the space of others and can make it difficult to stay in one area. Physical boundaries give the student a defined area and can help them feel more secure.
When seated at a desk or carpet, use arm rests to provide a physical boundary. Seating like a wooden Rifton chair or a Zuma chair with arm rests are great options that we often see.
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| Rylie Jarrett & Denise Campbell Stevenson Elementary, Mad River |
When seated at the carpet, physical boundaries can be provided using a cube chair or for some even a carpet square can help keep them where they need to be.
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| Kathy Timmerman Fairbrook Elementary, Beavercreek |
2. Allow for Movement
Many of our students actively seek vestibular movement throughout the day. They may rock in their chair or need to get up and pace. Providing seating options that allow for movement can help them be more focused.
For desk or table work, we love these Zuma rockers that look like a typical school chair but have rounded legs to allow for rocking.
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| Edison Elementary, Dayton |
We have also seen an increase in classrooms using standing desks which can help students move around to stay engaged and alert. For students who need extra movement while at a standing desk, tape a box on the floor to provide a boundary for where they can pace.
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| Annette Stine Kyle Elementary, Troy |
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| Tami Bartley Fairborn Primary, Fairborn |
We love this great use of a cocktail table to provide a standing option for students.
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| Khristie Reed Kettering Middle School, Kettering |
At the carpet, scoop rockers or rocking gamer chairs can be great options.
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| Bobbi Jo Chapman Snyder Park Elementary, Springfield |
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| Brittany Bush Spinning Hills Middle School, Mad River |
3. Give Support
It is important to make sure students are supported when seated. Without support, students can become distracted and uncomfortable. The effort needed for completing work may be too much if they are also actively trying to manage their discomfort.
Many of our students have limited core strength and need their trunks supported when seated at the carpet. They may slouch, lean, W sit, extend their legs straight out, or lay down if seated for too long without support. These students may also appear restless and reposition often as they try to manage the seated position. Giving support to their trunk through providing a back rest can be a great way to keep them more engaged.
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| Howda Hug Chair |
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| Alisa Hartlage Northridge Elementary, Northeastern |
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| Ramel Mitchell Kyle Elementary, Troy |
On the carpet, some student may also struggle with completing work in their laps. Allowing them to lay on their stomachs to work or providing a floor or lap desk can be great alternatives.
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| Brittany Sword Valley Elementary, Beavercreek |
It can often be difficult to find classroom chairs that are the correct size for all students. But this is so important because dangling legs can not only be uncomfortable but it can also effect blood circulation. Giving support ensures that stress on the student's muscles and joints is evenly distributed across their body. Lack of support can cause increased strain on their body which can lead to fatigue, tight or achy muscles, joint stiffness and even pain. This can lead to students frequently repositioning and folding their legs up in the chair. Sometimes we see students wrapping their feet around the legs of the chair also. If you cannot obtain chairs at the correct size for each student, providing foot rests can be a great solution. These can be easily made using wood, boxes, or phone books wrapped in duct tape.
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| Pam Ellender Mad River Middle School, Mad River |
There is no one-size-fits-all approach for adaptive seating and many classrooms have to differentiate to meet the unique needs of each student. We love this classroom's use of cube chairs, student chairs, rocking chairs, and even a cube chair wrapped in a body sock to make sure all of their students are able to engage in carpet time more readily!
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| Keelin DiMuccio Fairbrook Elementary, Beavercreek |
And how this classroom added weights to a student's chair so that she can get heavy work input by moving her chair from center to center.
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| Emily Colbert Bruce Elementary, Eaton |
For more ideas on meeting your students' seating needs check out our previous post on Preferential Seating.
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