Sitting ability
To know the wheelchair users sitting ability is an important conclusion of the complex of knowledge you
need to have for your seating assessment. The sitting ability must work as a kind of description of the
physical conditions of the wheelchair user. It is a precondition for you to be able to choose and to plan the
right intervention as to assistive technology for sitting and procedures referring to the physical use of
assistive technology in everyday life and in the seated position.
Bear in mind the environment-, activity and participation, and personal factors too, as you choose and plan
the best intervention.
There is several ways to categorize the ability to sit (1). This material start in the classification developed by
Mulchany, Pountney, Nelham, Green and Billington (2). Mentioned below you can see a brief survey.
Seven levels to classify sitting ability:
1. The wheelchair user is unplaceable in an aligned sitting posture.
2. The wheelchair user is placeable in an aligned sitting posture but needs support to keep it.
3. The wheelchair user is able to maintain sitting when placed but cannot move.
4. The wheelchair user is able to move trunk slightly forwards-backwards over base without arching
spine.
5. The wheelchair user is able to transfer weight laterally and regain posture.
6. The wheelchair user is able to move out of sitting position (i.e. transfer weight onto feet and lift
bottom of seat)
7. The wheelchair user is able to move into and out of sitting position (i.e. into standing and back.
References:
(1) Rodby Bousquet E. Kartläggning och granskning av kliniska bedömningsinstrument för position och
postural förmåga i liggande, sittande och stående. Uppsala Universitet, Institutionen för Neurovetenskap
2008.
(2)Mulchany CM, Pountney TE, Nelham RL, Green EM, Billington GD. Adaptive Seating for
motorhandicapped – Problems, a solution, assessment and prescription, Physiotherapy, vol 74 (10), 1988.
(3) Helle Dreier (red.) Tryksårsforebyggelse I den siddende stilling. Hjælpemiddelinstituttet 2003.
www.siddestillingskompagniet.dk