Chapter 2 Seating Positioning Mobility Traditional Seating Guidelines

Chapter 2 Seating, Positioning, Mobility

Traditional Seating Guidelines • • • Feet resting on the floor - ankles dorsiflexed to 90 degrees Knees flexed 90 degrees Hips well back in chair Both arms resting comfortably on desk without causing shoulders to shrug

Stephanie Rock is a third grade student at North Friendship Elementary School in Maryland. She loves school, and she often greets her teachers with a hug every morning. Her favorite subject is math, but her teachers are concerned with her safety in the class. When completing her work, her body slumps over her desk and her legs wrap around the bottom of he desk or chair. She leans back in her chair and wobbles back and forth. Stephanie often completes her work, but the teachers constantly have to remind her to be safe and keep her chair on the ground. In reading, Stephanie receives push in services from a special educator to help with her reading comprehension. During this time, Stephanie is often out of her seat and wondering around, looking at classroom objects. Because of her academic needs, the teachers are not able to spend a lot of time focusing on other areas of concern. Instead, Stephanie has just been moved to the back of the classroom facing a blank wall in order to minimize distractions. Stephanie like to be close to the front of the room to see her teachers, but she is often too much of a distraction to the other learners. In this classroom, Stephanie completes about 10% of her work each day. When Stephanie goes to art, the students often stand while painting or sit on the floor for creative expression activities. In these settings, Stephanie is noted to have less movement around the classroom. Stephanie has no gross motor delays and moves around the school successfully during transitions. She walks appropriately in the hall and enjoys playing outside during recess. Stephanie rides the bus with her classmates and behaves appropriately.

Stephanie Rock is a third grade student at North Friendship Elementary School in Maryland. She loves school, and she often greets her teachers with a hug every morning. Her favorite subject is math, but her teachers are concerned with her safety in the class. When completing her work, her body slumps over her desk and her legs wrap around the bottom of he desk or chair. She leans back in her chair and wobbles back and forth. Stephanie often completes her work, but the teachers constantly have to remind her to be safe and keep her chair on the ground. In reading, Stephanie receives push in services from a special educator to help with her reading comprehension. During this time, Stephanie is often out of her seat and wondering around, looking at classroom objects. Because of her academic needs, the teachers are not able to spend a lot of time focusing on other areas of concern. Instead, Stephanie has just been moved to the back of the classroom facing a blank wall in order to minimize distractions. Stephanie like to be close to the front of the room to see her teachers, but she is often too much of a distraction to the other learners. In this classroom, Stephanie completes about 10% of her work each day. When Stephanie goes to art, the students often stand while painting or sit on the floor for creative expression activities. In these settings, Stephanie is noted to have less movement around the classroom. Stephanie has no gross motor delays and moves around the school successfully during transitions. She walks appropriately in the hall and enjoys playing outside during recess. Stephanie rides the bus with her classmates and behaves appropriately.

Student’s Abilities/Difficulties Environmental Considerations Tasks What are the student’s abilities and difficulties related to seating, positioning and mobility? What environmental considerations impact seating and positioning? What task(s) do you want the student to do once they are seated? Does the student have strengths in any areas that would facilitate their seating and mobility? Does the student have issues in Physical-Muscles- strength or weakness; Coordination or other physical issues? Stability- trunk, extremities; standing, seated or other position? Endurance-fatigues easily? What is the student currently using for: Seating? Positioning? Mobility? Transfers? Where is the student expected to move about? Do different locations require the same or different types of seating or mobility? Does the child have an environmental preference? Does the child require physical assistance in some areas, but not others? (restroom, classroom, bus, etc. ) Use hands? Use device or learning tool? Stay on task? What task(s) do you want the student to do once they are moving? Get to and from class? Move around in the classroom? Participate in daily activities? What does the child need to be provided with to be as independent as possible in regards to: seating, positioning, mobility? Does the child need assistance with transfers, changing positions, accessing mobility or other devices? Sensory Considerations Narrowing the Focus Hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to stimuli such as i. e. Specific task identified visual clutter, different lighting; classroom and background noise; tactile stimulationfor solution generation surfaces; awareness of physical space / personal space; other individual specific sensitivities Solution Generation Tools & Strategies Solution Selection Tools & Strategies Brainstorming Only No Decision Discuss & Select Idea from Solution Generation Implementation Plan AT Trials/Services Needed: Date/Length/Person Responsible Follow-Up Plan Who & When-Set specific date now.

Student’s Abilities and Difficulties • • Loves school, enjoys math Completes assignments in art when standing or seating on floor Successful with transitions Rides bus appropriately Only completes 10% of work in reading Unsafe in math when seated in chair Often moving around the classroom Environmental Considerations • • Student expected to sit at desk in both reading and math Student allowed to sit on floor and stand in art Student likes to be close to the teacher Easily distracted by classroom Tasks • • Stephanie needs to participate in classroom activities is reading and math Remain safe while seated in class Stephanie needs more appropriate seating in class Limit time spent wondering in the classroom Tools