Occupational Therapy Seating Advice

Our Occupational Therapists can support you with identifying if there is a need for specialist seating to meet your child’s needs. We can also advise, loan and review specialist seating where necessary.

What is Specialist Seating?

Specialist seating is a system of supportive or adaptive chair options to meet specific needs such as;

• Protect Posture
• Maintain Posture
• Enable Access
• Support Activities & Learning
• Aid Social Interaction

We use the term ‘specialist’ as these types of provisions are to meet specific and individual needs using seating equipment where alternatives and standard options are insufficient. Across the city the Birmingham Chailey Therapy Seating Assessment Tool is used for consistency across services enabling us to provide the;

• Right Service
• Right Time
• Right Need
• Right Support

How might this differ from seating provided by other services?

Within our service, we look to manage and maintain needs which are generally related to longer term
needs or disability.
NHS Occupational Therapists or Physiotherapists may also look at seating to meet various needs and goals regarding development or acute needs (medical), these types of approaches usually have a programme or plan for you to follow over a set period of time, with guidance from your therapist.

Some seating companies may also provide seating guidance, if you choose to consider this route it is very important that you check the credentials of those providing advice to ensure that your child’s needs are being met safely and appropriately.