Fall brings a crispness in the air, the sound of leaves rustling underfoot on an evening walk, shorter days and longer nights. For children it means getting back into the routine of school, meeting new teachers and classmates, and hopefully learning new things every day. All kids are familiar with the standard issue school furniture and get used to the discomfort associated with stiff wooden chairs and benches after a while. For disabled and special needs kids however, the standard school furniture simply does not meet their needs and is not appropriate for long hours sitting in a classroom. Fortunately, Rehabmart offers several options of specially designed chairs made to accommodate the needs of disabled children.

   

For kids with slight to moderate mobility issues, classroom chairs are often not appropriate because they are not adjustable and do not provide enough back or leg support. The TherAdapt School Chair is an ideal choice because of its ability to be modified to meet a variety of needs. The TherAdapt School Chair comes in nine different sizes (from preschool to extra wide) and is fully adjustable in height, depth and angle. With its 7 degree anterior angle, the TherAdapt chair can be positioned for therapeutic benefits or can help the student to transfer themselves out of the chair without assistance. A one inch pelvic positioning belt comes standard with the chair as well as a comfortably padded seat made of slip resistant material. Best of all, the chair is designed to fit in with standard school décor so the students feel more comfortable and less like they are in a medical setting.

  
For those who want even more flexibility and cost savings, the multifunctional TherAdapt Odyssey Chair is designed to grow with your physically challenged child from early childhood through secondary school. The Odyssey chair's design is modular in concept, which means that each part of the chair can be adjusted together or independently, depending on the needs of the individual child. The wooden seat can be set low for easy self-transfer, at mid-height for a school table or desk, or at a high position for feeding or eating at a dining table. For maximum comfort and therapeutic positioning benefit, the depth of the seat and back can be changed and the angle can be set for up to 30 degrees. A sturdy foot plate helps smaller kids climb up to the seat independently and the sides of the chair are laminated to withstand years of use. A number of accessories are available with the Odyssey chair including a hip abduction block, padded armrests, foot sandals, headrest, seat and back pads, wheels and heel stops.

 
For a fully adjustable chair that will take a child from preschool all the way through college, the TherAdapt Inclusion Modular Chair is a smart choice for school or home use. Its sleek, modern tubular design fits into any décor and is built to last with its one inch steel tubular frame and its durable laminate seat and back. Chair height and angle guides are positioned at the bottom of the leg extension tubes to allow for greater stability on uneven surfaces. Padded flip-back armrests help ease users in and out of the chair and also aid in independent lateral transfers. The "drop" style seat can be positioned at different heights, depths and angles and the seat back can be positioned between 75º and 95º to suit individual therapeutic needs. Included with the seat is a two inch wide, side release pelvic positioning to help stabilize the user. The back and footplate are fully customizable as well.

With all the options of therapeutic chairs on the market today, there is no need for a disabled student to feel uncomfortable in school. In fact, with all the adjustable features on these chairs, there is no need to go out and buy new chairs as the child grows. The beauty of these chairs is that they support and stabilize special needs students, fit in with most school furniture designs and can be adjusted as your child grows. The only thing these chairs seem to be missing is the ability to do homework!

Rachel Huber,
Medical Consumer Writer
and
Hulet Smith, OT
Rehabmart Team Leader & CEO