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My students have an array of disabilities: Autism, Traumatic Brain Injury, Specific Learning Disability, Other Health Impairment (think anxiety or attention deficit), Emotional Disturbance, etc. Math is already a challenge due to their disability, but paying attention and sitting still for 86 minutes is a double challenge. I remember one 9th grader who sat in the back, pulled his hood up, closed his eyes, and fell asleep at the beginning of every class. I was at a loss for what to do. He asked to sit in my extra "teacher chair" and from that moment on, he was alert, attentive, and engaged. I was flabbergasted. How in the world did this simple change make such an impact in his engagement? I found the same thing happened with several other energetic, but attention-disordered, boys in that same class. I resolved in that moment to change the seating choices in my classroom. My students can't work with typical classroom desks and chairs. I have students ranging from 5'0" to 6'10." Not only are their physical body sizes impacting their ability to remain seated and comfortable, but their mental deficits warrant a need for flexible seating. Flexible seating will add comfort and equity as students can "stem" and move/wiggle. Taking away the physical barriers of "sitting" will allow students to focus on content acquisition and engagement in class.
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