The Scallop Positioning Seat: Finally, a Way for Special Needs Children to Sit Independently

"Can I take it home? It’s my first time sitting at the table without my wheelchair."

Imagine hearing those words from your ten-year-old child. Countless families around the globe struggle to help their child with special needs participate in tasks like mealtime, playtime, and even leisure time. 

Encouraging good posture while sitting can be tricky, especially when a child has low muscle tone or is highly sensory-seeking (a nervous system response to being chronically understimulated).

So many doors open for a child, socially and emotionally, when he can sit with his family at dinner, or play video games on the floor alongside his sister.

The Scallop Transportable Positioning Seat makes this possible. Designed by Keira Gwynn, a university student in Swansea, Wales, the Scallop seat is for children who cannot sit independently without pelvic and trunk support. 

The birth of a dream

While doing volunteer work, Keira spoke with frustrated mothers who could not find any seating options which would let their children sit independently. Searching for a tool to promote their child’s posture while allowing them to engage their surroundings had proven impossible, and these mothers also wanted a tool with portability.

Designed with Keira’s amassed parent and therapist input, the Scallop Seat lets children with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, and other conditions sit independently on the floor or atop a normal chair. 

And, just as important, the Scallop allows stability (but does not limit mobility).

This means that a child does not need to lean forward in order to stay balanced. They can sit upright, use their hands freely, and make eye contact, rather than bend forward to maintain their center of gravity. 

The Scallop is designed to support and surround a child. This has proven especially helpful to children with autism who are sensory-seekers. These children feel secure in the Scallop, and achieve better posture and focus while behaving more calmly.

How does the Scallop work?

Shaped like a scallop shell, this seat surrounds users and offers them a feeling of security and stability while seated either on the floor or atop a chair. It’s portable, washable, and even functions as a soft carry bag for outings! 

The Scallop is easily assembled without any tools. It comes in four sizes (often, the entire family uses one, just because it’s so comfortable!).

Who can benefit from using the Scallop?

Any child who requires pelvic and trunk support in order to sit and balance independently can benefit from sitting in the Scallop. 

Children with autism, learning disabilities, and behavioral challenges also experience definite benefits from sitting in the Scallop. 

First, the seat encourages children to sit upright with their legs down, avoiding the “W” position favored by many children. This position is bad for their hamstrings, hips and knees.

Second, many children with autism demonstrate low muscle tone. The Scallop naturally encourages their body into a more active seating position.

Last, children who are sensory-seekers, or tend to always be on the move, have become calmer and more focused once they began using the Scallop seat. 

What Scallop customers are saying 

“The portability of the Scallop is great. It enables us to bring it along to help Jonah sit well. It is a fantastic help when eating meals around the table and helping him to feel secure. We all love the Scallop.” – Rebecca and Tim, Scallop user case study

“The introduction of the Scallop to facilitate Evie’s inclusion has been life changing for Evie. She is now able to actively participate in many activities which weren’t previously possible. She sits in the scallop on a normal chair at the table, and plays board games, Playmobil Small World , Play Doh, and colouring with her brothers and sisters. For the first time ever, she sits on the floor with confidence. Evie is able to concentrate on what she is doing, rather than worrying and panicking about whether she is able to maintain position.” – Karen, Scallop user case study

Take a closer look at the Scallop Positioning Seat on the RehabMart catalog page. It could change your child’s life (and your family’s life, too)!