Special Needs Chairs that Tilt and Recline
When shopping for adaptive seating, you'll often come across two different options - recline seating and tilt-in-space seating. Understanding the difference is important. Both of these special needs chair types allow users to sit upright and in a laid-back position, but their mechanisms differ. With tilt-in-space chairs, the hip angle remains the same. The seat tips back as a unit. With recline seating, the hip angle changes as the head and trunk are leaned back. Both types of special needs chairs have their unique advantages and disadvantages, so often it’s a good idea to have a seat with both options.
For example, if you simply want to provide your child with pressure relief without making any changes to their hip angle, you will find the tilt-in-space feature useful. It is especially useful for children who have increased extensor tone. Keeping their hips, knees and ankles flexed to 90 degrees is an important part of managing their extensor patterns of movement (arching). If later in the day you'd like your child to lie all the way back to sleep, for a diaper change, or for necessary medical care you can achieve that too without switching to a whole different piece of equipment. In other words, these are some of the most versatile chairs for all sorts of activities and environments. You can use them at home, in therapy settings and even while you travel.
Which Tilt-in-Space Recline Chair is Best?
Adaptivemall.com handpicks special needs seating that's personally recommended by our experienced occupational and physical therapists. Any chair from this selection will be a good choice if it suits your requirements. You will want to choose a chair based on your specific needs, your child's age and your budget. For example, the Leckey Squiggles Chair is a very popular option for children from 1 to 5 years old with complex positioning needs. The Rifton Hi/Lo Activity Chair is best for children with moderate positioning needs who want a versatile chair for all daily activities. If you have any specific questions, feel free to contact us by giving us a call at 1-800-371-2778.
