602 chapter 64
Fitting the chair to the child: measurements
These measurements are for wheelchairs and for special seating without wheels.
SEAT WIDTH
Measure across
hips or thighs—
whichever is wider.
MEASURE
WIDEST
PART
Add 1 cm. (1/2 inch) to both sides for seat width.
Note: Some specialists
recommend wider seats.
But the child gets a better
arm position for pushing the
wheels if only 1 cm. is added
on either side. However, you
may want to leave a little
more room to allow for the
child’s growth.
SEAT DEPTH
Note: You may want to add 2 cm.
or 3 cm. to allow for growth and
use a backboard or firm cushion
to fill in the extra space.
MEASURE FROM
BEHIND KNEE
TO BACK OF
BUTT
Subtract about 1 cm.
for depth of seat to
leave a little space
behind the knees.
CAUTION: When
measuring, be
sure to allow for
cushions or
backboards that
will be added.
SEAT HEIGHT
CAUTION: Be sure to include
cushion when measuring
height for chair seat.
Note: Raising the seat of a small child higher
lets his feet rest above the casters and therefore
directly below the knees. The higher seat also
helps for eating at the table with the family.
Sideways transfers are also easier. Sometimes
seats are placed even higher than shown, but this
makes pushing wheels with hands more difficult.
MEASURE
THIS
DISTANCE
Subtract
1 cm.
5 cm
For an ADULT
or BIG CHILD,
add 5 cm. for
height above
ground.
For a SMALL
CHILD, add
the height of
the caster.
height of caster
ARMREST HEIGHT
BACK HEIGHT
MEASURE FROM BOTTOM OF
BUTT TO BEND OF ELBOW.
Before
measuring,
be sure
child is
sitting as
straight as
possible.
Put armrest height a
little higher than his
elbow so that the elbow
will be positioned away
from the body.
MEASURE FROM BOTTOM
OF BUTT TO ARMPIT
IMPORTANT: Also check
how much hips and
knees bend, as this may
affect position of footrests
and casters.
knee
contracture
Note: This measurement is standard,
but some children need arm support
at a higher level. Experiment.
Note: This measurement is
standard, but some children need a
higher back, and sometimes head
support. Others prefer a back that
supports only the hips.
Caster here
will not
work.
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