Alternative Seating Research Articles

Evaluating the Use of Alternative Seating with Kindergarteners at Risk for Emotional and Behavioral Disorders.

Characteristics of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) include learning difficulties that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory, or health factors and difficulties in building or maintaining interpersonal relationships with peers and teachers. Children with or at risk for an EBD often have a tendency to have negative experiences in school and engage in challenging behavior in the classroom including out-of-seat behavior. One possible antecedent manipulation, alternative seating, may reduce challenging behavior and involves exchanging the typical seating in classrooms for different types of seating options. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of stability stools and scoop rocker chairs on in-seat behavior and on-task behavior in classrooms with kindergarten students who engaged in challenging behavior and were at risk for EBD. All three participants demonstrated improvements in in-seat behavior using both types of alternative seating compared to a standard classroom chair. On-task behavior improved for all students but was variable for two students. Teachers indicated a preference for the stability stool, whereas results were mixed between the stool and the rockers for student preference.

An active classroom intervention to improve physical activity, on‐task behavior, and academic achievement outcomes for students with disabilities

AbstractMany children with disabilities engage in less physical activity compared to their peers. This pilot‐feasibility study examines the effects of movement‐based desk and alternative seating on classroom physical activity, time on task, reading fluency, and reading comprehension scores in fourth/fifth and seventh/eighth‐grade children with disabilities. Using a cross‐over 8‐week design, action desks were included in fourth/fifth (N = 14) and seventh/eighth (N = 21) grade classrooms for students with disabilities. Levels of physical activity were measured using accelerometers; reading ability was assessed using AIMSweb Oral Reading Fluency and MAZE probes; time on task was measured using video recordings over 3 consecutive days. Data were collected at 0‐week, 4‐week, 8‐week, 12‐week, and 16‐week time points. A significant increase in metabolic equivalent was seen in fourth/fifth graders and a significant decline in time spent in sedentary activity were observed in both fourth/fifth and seventh/eighth graders. The fourth/fifth graders increased their time spent in moderate physical activity and time on task during the intervention whereas seventh/eighth graders improved oral reading fluency. How a physical activity‐based classroom may be an effective intervention in students with disabilities to improve levels of physical activity and improve academic learning is discussed.

The Effect of Alternative Seating on School Function and Task Behavior in a Second-Grade Classroom

Background: The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of alternative seating (KidsErgo chairs) on second-grade students’ attention and task behavior/completion skills during academic instruction and work time.

Alternative seating practices: pedagogy of the back of the orchestra

ABSTRACT This three-year study aimed to investigate students’ experiences with alternative seating practices (ASP) in a public-school string orchestra program. Whereas education scholarship has long demonstrated that democratic classroom seating arrangements play a crucial role in the learning process, typical orchestra classrooms maintain a hierarchical seating format assigned to students on a competitive basis. In this study I set out to explore the relationship between anti-hierarchical seating practices rooted in social justice and the musical capacity of a classroom ensemble. Using interdisciplinary methods – ethnography, interviews, archival data collection and analysis –, I investigated ASP’s effects on the learning, motivation, and musical caliber of twenty-five string orchestra students from 8th to 10th grade in a diverse public school in the United States. My research findings show that anti-hierarchical ASP fostered students’ collaboration and increased their motivation and engagement. Moreover, ASP also improved drastically the musical capacity of all students, especially those with no prior music training, and it led the ensemble to win first place at statewide competitions against more affluent and advanced student orchestras for three years in a row. My study therefore suggests that pedagogy rooted in social justice can be instrumental to achieving excellence in music classrooms.

U.S. vehicle occupancy trends relevant to future automated vehicles and mobility services

Objective Identifying current occupant travel patterns can inform decision making regarding the design, regulation, and occupant protection systems helpful for automated vehicle systems and mobility services. Methods Two travel data sets were analyzed to quantify travel patterns: the 2017 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), which provides data on household trips logged for a 24-h period, and the 2011–2015 National Automotive Sampling System–General Estimates System (NASS-GES), which contains data sampled from police-reported crashes. Analysis identified trends with driver age and gender, occupant age and gender, time of day, day of week, trip purpose, trip duration, vehicle type, as well as occupant role as solo driver, driver of others, single passenger, or multiple passengers. Results In NHTS, the median trip duration is 15 min; only 10% of trips last longer than 40 min. Trip duration does not vary with occupant role or vehicle type. Variations with trip time of day and day of week show a unimodal pattern for weekends, as well as weekday trips for those aged 55 years and older and non-solo occupants aged 18 to 29 years. Other occupant groups have a bimodal weekday travel pattern with peak trips corresponding to morning and evening rush hours. In GES, approximately half of occupants are solo drivers. Female drivers aged 55 and older travel alone 60% of the time, and drivers under age 18 and female drivers aged 30 to 54 drive alone on less than 45% of trips. Approximately 13% of occupants are single passengers, and 16% travel with a driver and at least 1 other passenger. About 16% of occupants are front seat passengers. Conclusions This analysis of vehicle occupancy provides insights on what ridership of future automated vehicles and expanded ride-hailing services may look like. Because half of occupants are solo drivers, only 16% are multiple passengers, and median trip length is just 15 min, proposed alternative seating arrangements intended to promote comfort and passenger interaction may not represent the typical future vehicle use case in the United States. Knowledge of current occupancy patterns can help automated vehicle designers and regulators develop safe seating scenarios that meet customer needs.

Evaluating the Use of Stability Ball Chairs for Children with ASD in a Clinic Setting.

This study used an alternating treatments embedded within a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants design to evaluate the effects of a stability ball chair on the on-task and in-seat behavior for three children with autism in a clinic setting. Results indicated increases for both in-seat and on-task behavior with the stability ball chair compared to a standard table chair, however, results varied across participants. On-task behavior had a greater increase across participants compared to in-seat behavior with the stability ball chair. Social validity results found that therapists had an overall positive view of stability ball chairs. This study provides clinicians with options for alternative seating to increase the on-task and in-seat behavior of children with autism. This study extends the use and evaluation of alternative seating, from typically studied settings and contexts, such as classrooms, to clinic settings with younger populations.

Stability Balls and Student on-Task Behavior

Stability balls have become a common option for alternative seating in classrooms. While the social validity of stability ball classroom seating remains high among students and teachers, findings on the effectiveness of this alternative seating method are mixed. This is particularly true when the intent of the intervention is to increase student on-task behavior. This study examined the effects of stability ball seating on students’ on-task behavior in a general education setting, using a within-subjects repeated measures design. Researchers observed twenty-four third-grade students in a public-school classroom across three conditions: all chairs, all balls, or choice. Across observation days, the study controlled for time of day, teacher, and classroom environment. Results indicate students are on-task less frequently when sitting on a stability ball. Student reports on social validity replicated prior findings; students found the stability ball to be desirable and easy to use.

Thoracolumbar spine kinematics and injuries in frontal impacts with reclined occupants

Objective Highly automated vehicles may permit alternative seating postures, which could alter occupant kinematics and challenge current restraint designs. One predicted posture is a reclined seated position. While the spine of upright occupants is subjected to flexion during frontal crashes, the orientation of reclined occupants tends to subject the spine to high compressive loads followed by high flexion loads. This study aims to investigate kinematics and mechanisms of loading in the thoracolumbar spine for a reclined seated posture through the use of postmortem human subjects (PMHS). Methods Frontal impact sled tests (50 kph delta-v) were conducted on five adult midsize male PMHS seated with the torso reclined to 50 degrees with respect to the vertical. The PMHS were seated on a semi-rigid seat and restrained by a seat-integrated three-point belt with dual lap-belt pretensioners and a shoulder-belt pretensioner with a 3 kN load-limiter. 3-D kinematic trajectories of five chosen vertebrae, and the pelvis were measured relative to the vehicle buck. Intervertebral pressure transducers were installed at three locations in the lumbar column to detect load timing. Results Three PMHS suffered fractures at L1. Combined compression and flexion of the thoracolumbar spine occurred in all tests, but the magnitude of peak flexion varied across the PMHS. During the PMHS' forward excursion, the pelvis rotated anteriorly in two tests and posteriorly in two tests (lap-belt submarining occurred in one). In one test, the pelvis mount interacted with the seat, but did not affect kinematics. Conclusions Anterior rotation of the pelvis caused increased extension of the lumbar spine, which exacerbated lumbar compression in two of the PMHS; the one subject whose pelvis kinematic tracking was lost exhibited similar compression kinematics. Posterior rotation of the pelvis enabled lumbar flexion, which decreased lumbar compression, but lead to lap-belt submarining in one case. Lumbar kinematics for these reclined frontal impacts were sensitive to changes in initial posture of the spine (magnitude of lordosis or kyphosis) and pelvis (pitch angle). To our knowledge, this study is the first to analyze thoracolumbar kinematics and resulting injuries of a reclined seating posture using PMHS.

The Effects of Ball Chair Seating during an Instructional Period in First Grade Classrooms

ABSTRACT Seating that allows movement is commonly suggested to enhance postural activation, attention, and behavior. The study examined the effects of ball chair seating on legibility, student behavior, and classroom productivity. In two consecutive years, in an ABAB design, first grade students alternated by weeks between standard seating (A phases) and ball chairs (B phases) during math class. Parents provided informed consent for student to be included in analysis (11/16 Year 1; 19/25 Year 2). There were significant decreases in legibility across the phases of this study (p <.001). Time in Seat was greater in each of the B phases compared to the first A phase (p <.001). There were no significant differences in the proportion of instructions followed (p =.564). There were differences in undesired behaviors: each switch to ball chairs was accompanied by a nonsignificant decrease in undesired behaviors, but the increase in undesired behaviors switching back to standard chairs was significant (p =.004). There was no difference in the proportion of time spent productively (p =.723). The effect on legibility suggests that if the desired outcome is improved legibility, using ball chairs may not serve as an effective intervention. The effects on behavior suggest that implementing a classroom-wide alternative seating intervention may have moderate, reversible positive effect. The effect on productivity suggests that ball chairs do not disrupt, nor enhance, classroom efficiency.

The Effects of Stability Ball Seating on the Behavior of Children with Autism During Instructional Activities.

Children with ASD often display behavior problems that can lead to academic and social disruptions. This has led to the introduction of stability balls as an alternative seating method for children, both on the autism spectrum and with other needs. This study used a multiple baseline design and duration data to evaluate the effects of stability ball seating on attending and in-seat behavior for children with ASD who received ABA therapy in their homes. The intervention replaced their standard seating method with a stability ball. In the final phase participants chose their own seating method before beginning table work to assess preference. Following intervention the stability ball was found to increase both attending and in-seat durations for children with ASD.

Social Justice and Ensemble Success: Implementing Alternative Seating Practices

Social Justice and Ensemble Success: Implementing Alternative Seating Practices

Effects of Alternative Seating on Attention and In-Seat Behavior for Children With Autism

Abstract Date Presented 4/19/2018 The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of alternative seating on attention and in-seat behavior of preschoolers with autism. Preliminary results indicate that alternative seating was effective in improving attention. Results advance the profession as school therapists may recommend alternative seating. Primary Author and Speaker: Kristen Morgus Additional Authors and Speakers: Jeryl Benson, Elena Donoso Brown, and Deborah Smitsky

Behavioral Drivers of Routing Decisions: Evidence from Restaurant Table Assignment

Determining how best to route work is a key element of service system design. Not surprisingly then, many analytical models have identified various optimal routing algorithms for service operations management. However, in many settings, humans make routing decisions dynamically, either because algorithms don't exist, decision support tools have not been implemented, or existing rules are not enforced. Understanding how individuals make decisions creates the opportunity to identify both positive deviances, as well as suboptimal decision making that can be improved. Therefore, in this paper we first theoretically identify the factors that may impact decision making before empirically examining a large operational data set in a casual restaurant setting to research whether and how hosts deviate from their predefined round-robin rule to seat customers to servers. We find that hosts assign customers earlier than what the round-robin rule suggests to those servers who have low workload, high speed skills but low sales skills, and high familiarity with the hosts. In addition our models reveal that these seating heuristics are suboptimal in our setting and so we suggest an alternative seating heuristic to prioritize servers having high sales ability and estimate a potential sales lift between 2% and 3% through counterfactual analyses. Our research contributes both theoretically and practically as we use empirical methods to show not only how individuals make routing decisions, but also how these decisions can be improved.

Alternative Seating and Students' Perceptions: Implications for the Learning Environment

Alternative Seating and Students' Perceptions: Implications for the Learning Environment

Alternative Seating Systems for Students With Attention Difficulties: A Systematic Review

Abstract Date Presented 4/1/2017 This systematic review appraised the effectiveness of the use of alternative seating systems for students with attention difficulty. Results provide implications for school-based therapists regarding a strategy showing promising effects for students with attention difficulty. Primary Author and Speaker: Brittany Gochenour Additional Authors and Speakers: Gail Poskey

Determining the effectiveness of alternative seating systems for students with attention difficulties: A systematic review

ABSTRACTA student’s ability to attend in the classroom is an important factor in determining academic success. This systematic review examined the effects of an alternative seating system on improving attention in students with attention difficulties. Databases searched included CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO, OTSeeker, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Articles were critically appraised using a format based on the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Evidence-Based Literature Review Project. The results of this review suggest that the use of alternative seating devices generally improves attention for students with attention difficulty.

Support Person Presence and Child Victim Testimony: Believe it or Not.

This study examined the effects of support person presence on participants' perceptions of an alleged child sexual abuse victim and defendant. Two hundred jury-eligible community members (n = 100 males) viewed a DVD of an 11-year-old girl's simulated courtroom testimony either with or without a female support person seated next to her. Participants found the child victim to be less accurate and trustworthy, and the defendant to be less guilty and less likely to have sexually abused children, when the support person was present. Participants who viewed the female support person (n = 100) believed that she had probably coached and spent a great deal of time with the child victim before testifying. Female participants perceived the child to be more accurate, and the defendant to be more guilty and likely to have sexually abused children, than male participants. The degree to which the child victim's testimonial behavior violated participants' expectancies mediated the negative relation between support person presence and child victim accuracy and trustworthiness. Support person presence was positively associated with expectancy violation, which in turn was negatively associated with child victim accuracy and trustworthiness. These preliminary findings suggest that seating a support person next to an alleged child victim in court may have the unintended effect of decreasing the child's perceived credibility and, if replicated, suggest that alternative seating arrangements might be necessary.

Evaluation of Seat Comfort of Office Armchairs: an Impact of Articulated Seat Support and Gas Spring

This paper describes the application of an alternative seating system. The aim of this alternative approach was to determine the comfort of offi ce armchairs equipped with new construction solutions ensuring articulated support of the seat as well as articulated mounting of the gas spring. An offi ce armchair with a differ- ent seat support and gas spring was selected. Operational loads were applied to the seat surface. The following parameters were measured and calculated in the course of the performed experiments: contact area, average contact pressure and coeffi cient of seat pressure distribution (SPD). A new discomfort coeffi cient D expressing seat quality was elaborated. Preliminary data suggests that the prototypes provided greater sitting comfort than did the conventional chair. It was demonstrated that the new construction solution of the gas spring support guaranteed the highest comfort of the use of the examined armchairs.

Alternative seating for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: effects on classroom behavior.

A single subject, withdrawal design was used to investigate the effects of therapy balls as seating on engagement and in-seat behavior of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In addition, social validity was assessed to evaluate teachers' opinions regarding the intervention. During baseline and withdrawal (A phases) participants used their typical classroom seating device (chair, bench or carpet square). During the intervention (B phases) participants sat on therapy balls. Results indicated substantial improvements in engagement and in-seat behavior when participants were seated on therapy balls. Social validity findings indicated that the teachers' preferred the therapy balls. This study suggests therapy balls as classroom seating may facilitate engagement and in-seat behavior and create opportunities to provide effective instruction.

Mixed regioselectivity in the Arg-177 mutants of Corynebacterium diphtheriae heme oxygenase as a consequence of in-plane heme disorder.

It has been reported that the R183E and R183D mutants of rat heme oxygenase-1 (r-HO-1) produce approximately 30% delta-biliverdin [Zhou, H., et al. (2000) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 122, 8311-8312]. Two plausible mechanisms were proposed to explain the observations. (a) Electrostatic repulsion between E183 (D183) and one of the heme propionates forces the heme to rotate, thereby placing the delta-meso carbon in a position that is susceptible to oxidation. (b) Rearrangement of the distal pocket structure is triggered by the formation of a hydrogen bond between E183 (D183) and K179. A change in the pK(a) for the Fe(III)-H(2)O to Fe(III)-OH transition of the mutants was interpreted to be consistent with rearrangement of the hydrogen bond network in the distal pocket. The large similarities between the high-frequency portion of the (1)H NMR spectra corresponding to the wild type and R183E and R183D mutants were interpreted to indicate that the heme in the mutants is not rotated to a significant extent. We have re-examined this issue by studying the corresponding R177 mutants in heme oxygenase from Corynebacterium diphtheriae (cd-HO). Replacing R177 with E or D results in the formation of approximately 55% alpha- and 45% delta-biliverdin, whereas the R177A mutant retains alpha-regioselectivity. In addition, the K13N/Y130F/R177A triple mutant catalyzed the formation of 60% delta- and 40% alpha-biliverdin, while single mutants K13N and Y130F did not appreciably change the regioselectivity of the reaction. The pK(a) of the Fe(III)-H(2)O to Fe(III)-OH transition in wild-type cd-HO is 9.1, and those of the R177E, R177D, R177A, and K13N/Y130F/R177A mutants are 9.4, 9.5, 9.2, and 8.0, respectively. Thus, no obvious correlation exists between the changes in pK(a) and the altered regioselectivity. NMR spectroscopic studies conducted with the R177D and R177E mutants of cd-HO revealed the presence of three heme isomers: a major (M) and a minor (m) heme orientational isomer related by a 180 degrees rotation about the alpha-gamma meso axis and an alternative seating (m') which is related to m by an 85 degrees in-plane rotation of the macrocycle. The in-plane rotation of m to acquire conformation m' is triggered by electrostatic repulsion between the side chains of D or E at position 177 and heme propionate-6. As a consequence, the delta-meso carbon in m' is placed in the position occupied by the alpha-meso carbon in m, where it is susceptible to hydroxylation and subsequent formation of delta-biliverdin.