Explore Our Latest Mobility Tools and Support Options Now!
Supporting Mobility and Positioning in the School Environment
The use of adaptive equipment is essential for some students to maximize their
participation in school activities, particularly for those who need support for sitting, standing, and/or walking.
Sitting
When exploring adaptive equipment for students who need sitting support, it is important to consider both leisure (resting) and functional (forward-leaning) positions. There is a wide variety of adaptive equipment available, ranging from minimally adapted classroom chairs to activity chairs to customized wheelchair seating systems. It is particularly important to consider ways to increase pelvic stability in sitting, as this allows for improved positioning of the student’s legs and feet, trunk, arms and hands, and head. Depending on the student’s needs and medical complexity, supports may be modified or even removed over time.
For some students, classroom chairs such as the Leckey Pal Chair, may provide just enough support to promote more functional engagement in the classroom environment. For other students, floor sitters or activity chairs may be the safest and most effective way to achieve optimal sitting.
Standing
There are many health benefits to standing! Regular weight-bearing through the legs helps promote bone health, breathing, blood flow, digestion, and even bowel and bladder functions. Standing can also help strengthen muscles throughout the body and provide a foundation for walking. Standers can be configured in prone (leaning forward) or supine (leaning backward) positions, depending on how much support a student needs. In addition to the physical benefits, standing offers social and emotional benefits as well. Supporting students to
stand at eye level with their peers can foster relationship building and improve confidence. ATLAS will be adding standers to the library this school year!
Walking
Mobility devices are just as unique as the students using them! Some students benefit from postural support while walking (e.g., walkers, canes, and rollators) while others need a device to help with navigating their environment (e.g., white cane). Of course, some of our students roll and drive to get around school, too! Although ATLAS does not provide customized wheeled mobility products, we may still provide support for access related to a wheelchair (e.g., using the Bluetooth joystick on a power wheelchair to activate an augmentative and alternative communication device). ATLAS currently has an early mobility device available for lending called the Firefly Scooot, which can be configured four different ways to help younger children become more independent with crawling and manual propulsion prior to using a manual or power wheelchair. ATLAS will also be adding gait trainers, including the Rifton Pacer with all the bells and whistles, to the library this school year!
Although assistive technology (AT) related to mobility and positioning may not be the first equipment that comes to mind for use in schools, these tools are incredibly valuable for holistically supporting students’ individual needs.
Fill out this quick form today to explore your options with an ATLAS AT specialist. ATLAS is ready to help you facilitate sitting, standing, and walking in your classroom!
Lending Library Evaluation
Have you used the Lending Library already this year? Be sure to complete our evaluation to help us improve our services. Your feedback allows us to make improvements and provide an even better lending experience for you!
Tools like text-to-speech were created for students with learning disabilities, but today they’re widely used by all students to improve reading, focus, and confidence!
Check out two of our newest items!
PECS Starter Kit
PECS Starter Kit includes a Large PECS Communication Book, Communication Book Strap, and Large PECS 151 Set. This picture-ready PECS Communication Book is made of a thick, poly plastic material that is smooth to the touch, yet extremely durable. The back of the book is longer than the front to accommodate the Sentence Strip™. The book includes strips of VELCRO® Brand hook, two non-tabbed Insert Pages and one Sentence Strip. Fasten on one of the PECS Communication Book Straps to the spine-attached rings and the book becomes portable!
High Chairries with Tray
High Chairries® are a smart and versatile choice for any early education environment. Designed to make feeding and clean-up a snap, the High Chairries feature a durable 22" wide x 17" deep stain-resistant, FDA Approved and BPA-free plastic tray that has 126% more surface space. The raised lip helps contain spills and can hold up to a half gallon of liquid. A removable and adjustable 3-point seat belt makes for easy cleaning and an excellent fit. Height: 5". Dimensions: 15.50" High x 22.00" Wide x 22.00" Deep.
