Posture
The importance of posture
The amount of time completing table top activities increases as children progress through the school years. Children who have poor body awareness and poorly developed movement patterns may struggle to sustain seated postures. They may have poor stability, appear weak and/or have poor endurance for motor tasks. Good posture is when our body maintains us upright against gravity with a minimal muscle effort. If a child doesn’t have a good posture, fine motor and gross motor skill development will be affected.
Requirements for children with sensory processing difficulties
Children with sensory processing difficulties can have low muscle tone, this can make sitting up straight for long periods of time difficult. If a child isn’t receiving or processing sensory information effectively from their vestibular and proprioceptive systems, they may require more movement to attend during table top activities. These children may require movement breaks or alternative seating to get movement during the task.
Ideal seated posture is feet flat on the floor or a footstep, table at elbow height and hips, knees and ankles at 90°.
Good Posture
Good posture is when our body maintains us upright against gravity with a minimal muscle effort. If a child doesn’t have a good base from which to build on, fine motor and gross motor skill development will be affected.
- Good sitting posture
- Work in different positions or a change of position e.g. standing, sitting and work on the floor.
- Consider the use of alternate seating e.g. move-n-sit cushion or ball chair.
- Movement breaks
- Wall push ups
- Chair push ups
- Desk push ups
- Animal walks
- Get the child to run an errand or do jobs – carrying a heavy item can be grounding.
