Alternative Seating

Points to Consider

For the student:

• Does your student have low or high muscle tone?
• Does the student tend to be a sensory seeker or sensory avoider?
• Does the student gravitate towards a particular seat, rug, or cushion in the environment?

Environment:

• Are there universal supports available in the environment (program, classroom, building, district) that can first be trialed with the student to determine the need?
• Consult with your school occupational therapist or physical therapist for further guidance.

Task:

• What is the student currently expected to complete in the classroom while seated that they can not currently accomplish?
• What activities is the student more or less engaged with during the day?

Tool:

• Preliminary features to consider when selecting tools: comfort, movement in place, compression, stability, size of student and tool, and arrangement of environment.
• What types of training might be required for this student or team members when determining a tool?
• Trial new tools from the AT Lending Library, based on the identification of priority tasks and activities.

The items highlighted below are only just a few of the items or accommodations that may be readily accessible or easily put in place in your student's learning environment. Data gathered from using universal/inclusive supports can lead to purposeful and individualized learning accommodations.

Search our AT Trial Lending Library for Alternative Seating solutions. Use the search term "atseating" for best results.