Time to revisit your student’s home workspace
By Kimberly Bonacum, MS, OTR/L
January marks the midway point for the 2020-2021 school calendar. This is a perfect time to revisit your student’s home workspace as the continuation of some form of distance learning is highly likely. Setting up the best workspace both from an ergonomic and sensory framework will support participation and success.
Dedicated Work Space
First and foremost, does your student have a dedicated workspace? From my observations, during classroom synchronized lessons, the majority of students have a dedicated and appropriate workspace. However, popups of couches and coffee tables as workspaces are occasionally seen. Best practice is to always work at a desk, folding table or kitchen/dining table as this alerts the brain this is “work time” and not “chill time”.
Furniture
Second, how does the chair and desk/table fit? Poor posture as a result of an ill fit can lead to fatigue and discomfort which ultimately adversely impacts the attention and focus. Remember, hips, knees, and elbows at 90-90-90. When seated, feet should be flat on the floor with knees and hips at 90 degrees. If feet are dangling, posture is compromised. A footstool or stacked books can do the trick. Forearms should rest on the tabletop with elbows at or slightly near a 90-degree angle. And ideally, the computer screen should be at eye level to prevent neck strain. Students can elevate their Chromebooks on a cardboard box when viewing a class. Investing in an external keyboard will allow the Chromebook to remain at eye level while working.
Finding the Best Chair
Third, students are now sitting for prolonged periods of time. Finding the right seating option for support and comfort is a must. Office chairs are an easy answer. They offer an adjustable height, cushion and back support and the swivel and rock for those that need more movement for self-regulation. For a regular straight back chair, consider purchasing a seat cushion designed to address both improved posture and comfort. Examples include the highly rated grid sear cushion by Purple and Tempur-Pedic Memory Foam seat. However, regular straight-backed chairs are easily outfitted with pillows for comfort and heigh adjustment.
Finally, take some time to examine the sensory environment that your student is working in by completing an Environmental Sensory Scan. This will help to identify and remedy and sensory challenges that may be present. Environmental sensory stimuli, such as visual or auditory input, can be overwhelming, making your student work harder to process, organize an adapt the external sensory input before they can even attempt to attend a synchronized class lesson.
With your student, sit in the space and notice by looking and listening. What do they hear in the room, a nearby room or outside? What do they notice visually? For example, lightning, clutter, or the level of activity in the room? Identify what is distracting and/or bothersome and make changes to the sensory environment. Examples of simple environmental auditor and visual sensory strategies include: external headphones; set Chromebook volume to preferred level; close windows or adjacent door; adjust natural and/or artificial lighting sources; use a cardboard trifold barrier; face the desk toward a wall; reduce visual clutter on and around workspace.
With these tips and strategies, let’s welcome 2021 with renewed spirits and an ergonomic and sensory smart workspace that supports participation and success.
Kimberly Bonacum is an occupational therapist for Piedmont Unified School District and owner of Mindful Fidgets, LLC www.mindfulfidgets.com. For additional questions, she can be contacted at mindfulfidgets@gmail.com