Posture

A child's posture in school, especially sitting at their desk, can have a big effect on their ability to attend to and perform table-top activities and can be greatly affected by classroom ergonomics.

It is important for all students to have good ergonomics either in classroom chairs and desks or in wheelchairs. (If you have concerns about a child's posture in their wheelchair, please contact the child's PT or OT for follow-up). In a desk and chair, this means:

• • • Students should be sitting with their hips and knees bent at approximately a 90 degree angle.

    • Their feet should be flat on the floor and their elbows bent at 90 degrees too. You can compensate, if needed, by placing a stool or box beneath their feet so their feet are not dangling. 

    • Their bottoms should be at the back of the seat with their back straight up against the back of their chair.

    • Their pelvises should not be tilted forward or backward - their back should not be excessively arched or hunched

Good cues to use to remind students to sit with good posture are “press your back against your chair” “puff out your chest” or “pull your shoulders back”

If your student is unable to comfortably sit like this in the chair they have, check whether their chair and desk are the appropriate height for their body. 

If their chair and desk are at the correct height but students still have trouble maintaining good posture - lemon squeezes and pelvic tilts are great exercises to build up their postural muscles.

• Most core strengthening exercises will improve students' overall posture.