Your child might need specialist seating if you notice the following:

• They get very tired during meal times
• When feeding, they seem to struggle with swallowing 
• They slip down in the chair at home/school all the time 
• They appear to have really poor head control and cannot keep their head upright
• They appear to be floppy and cannot maintain an upright position on a chair
• They have poor vision and are unable to engage with object or toys that are too far away.

NOTE: Your child may already have seen an Occupational Therapist or a Physiotherapist and they may have spoken to your about your child's posture and that specialist seating may be needed and may have already directed you to what types of specialist seating may be available.

The OT Service, alongside the Physiotherapy Service, offer a monthly postural seating clinic.  Here we offer a clinic appointment for those children and young people who require additional level of postural support in order to be able to access both their home and school environment.

These may include:

• children/young people who require greater alignment when engaging in functional skills such as feeding and the development of fine motor skills. 
• children/young people who are unable to keep their body upright, or have difficulty moving their arms separately from trunk will also require some level of supported seating.
• children/young people who have reduced head control, difficulties managing secretions, swallow or are at risk of aspirations.

Our Postural Seating Clinics take place at:

Enabled Living Healthcare 7 Alpine Way London, E6 6LA and are held with our partners at Enabled Living. 

Your child’s chair can be used for various different daily functions. These include:

Playing -  This can include messy play activities, table top games, and two handed play when using the tray.

Fine motor activities - writing, drawing, painting, playing with building blocks or small toys.

Social interactions - engaging in social interactions with family and friends.

Feeding - Using the tray for meal time, using cutlery, exploring food and learning skills for independence. 

Postural Management Information Leaflet