From adults to children active or dynamic seating options has become popular. You may have noticed how important these options can be this past year. Whether it's trying to help children pay attention and participate during virtual learning or while you're sitting on a two-hour zoom call, positioning and having movement opportunities can make a big difference. If your work space included a table that was at eye level while your feet dangled from your chair, you may not be able to accurately or comfortably do your job. This is how many children are expected to learn and work in classrooms or homes due to their varying heights and sizes. If we want our children to sit still and pay attention, we need more flexible seating options to support their needs.
What is Active Seating?
Active or dynamic seating options give us flexibility physically and mentally. A general rule of thumb is that a child's attention span is 2-5 minutes per year of life. This means the average attention of a toddler age 2-4 is between 5-20 minutes, whereas a school age child 7-9 years old is around 15-45 minutes. Technology usage has also played a large role in a child's ability to concentrate and focus. Active seating solutions can provide calming input to improve attention and also provide alerting input for the same reason.
Active Seating Tips
Many children have a hard time with sitting on the floor for extended periods. They're expected to stay in their "body bubbles" without furniture to define personal space. Being asked over and over to sit "criss-cross applesauce" for more than a few minutes can be difficult for many children and promotes bad posture. Sitting on their heels or lying on their bellies with their elbows propped up can often improve core strength while also improving attention. Floor seating solutions such as a bean bag or wiggle seat can also be good options.
Cube Chairs, chairs with arm rests and/or trays provide physical boundaries to a child which can provide sensory feed back for calming and attention. Seating options should allow a child to have their feet firmly on the floor with their hips and knees at a 90-degree angle. Another way to support this foot placement would be a foot fidget or box underneath the student's feet.
Seating solutions that can provide alerting input include items such as a t-stool, wedge, or disc cushion. A t-stool is a rectangular or circular seat on one adjustable leg. The single leg allows appropriate height for foot and hip positioning and also requires engagement from the core for balance while seated. The need for this core engagement also provides alerting movement and attention while seated. A wedge cushion tilts the hips, pelvis and spine forward for a more active seating position. This upright seated posture can improve attention and focus. A disc cushion can be used for a child to sit on, again allowing that movement while remaining seated, or it can be used under the child's feet for support and input.