Written by Hulet Smith, OT
Like everyone else, special needs kids each have their own unique needs. Often, this leads to the selection of specialized supports, positioning devices, and various seating solutions.
Unfortunately, however, due to the wide variety of needs these systems are designed to accommodate, they frequently end up becoming overly complex, and hair-pullingly difficult to select and navigate.
Finding much of the equipment available for special needs children too complex, challenging to use, and expensive to maintain, Smirthwaite arose out of the belief that this equipment should be accessible above all else.
Smirthwaite believes that special needs equipment should be simple, easy to use, and still fully adaptive for each child’s needs. Their unique modular designs often feature durable wood along with a variety of bright colors, engaging children with their attractive, robust appearance and reliable support features.
While the products from Smirthwaite pack a lot of visual appeal, the real “wow” factor applies to their multiple design benefits. Their mission concept is:
Through their consistent collaboration with healthcare professionals, therapists, parents, and special needs kids themselves, Smirthwaite is firmly committed to helping every child to become more independent, developing to their full physical, mental, and social potential.
They remove every barrier they can to help children of any ability to engage and interact with their peers, parents, teachers, and therapists, while they also provide designs that support healthy posture and ergonomics.
How does a retirement hobby become a worldwide business? Geoff and Sheila Smirthwaite pioneered the development of special needs furniture and equipment with their inception of UK-based G&S Smirthwaite back in 1986.
Drawing upon his experience as a design, craft, and technology teacher, Geoff’s mentorship of a student working on a wooden chair project in 1976 helped him to re-examine the postural possibilities of seating, and how best to exploit those benefits with various design elements.
After retiring in 1986, Geoff was contacted by a branch of SCOPE, a disability support organization in the UK. When they asked if he could create a chair for a boy living with cerebral palsy, Geoff made a few modifications to his original wooden chair design. The chair was a success for the young boy, who could finally sit down at the dining room table and join his family for a meal.
Word quickly spread, and the Smirthwaites soon found themselves deluged with phone calls about making more of the wooden chairs, along with numerous professional requests from Conductive Education centers for a variety of adaptive wooden products.
Geoff and Sheila began to collaborate directly with therapists, parents, and children to develop and design special needs products and equipment that could be used at home, school, or in therapy settings.
As the demand for their products dramatically increased, what was intended as a retirement hobby for Geoff became a worldwide business for the Smirthwaite family, and is now called Smirthwaite Ltd.
Their dedication to exceptional quality, functionality, and performance is well-evident in every piece of equipment they create, and why they’re considered amazing innovators in the world of adaptive equipment for children with special needs.
Smirthwaite’s exceptional support and seating tools have been uniquely crafted to accommodate kids with special needs, but any classroom can benefit from incorporating some of these tools due to their versatile, engaging, and modular designs.
Specially designed to support correct posture, the Juni Lumbar Support Adjustable Pediatric Chair provides comfortable lumbar support, while a chest harness and abduction pommel keep the spine, hips, and legs aligned properly. Removable, closed-base armrests inhibit sensory input and help keep the upper body equally supported and engaged.
This versatile chair’s seat height and depth can be easy adapted to fit different children, and comes complete with an ergonomic push-handle and casters to facilitate smooth, easy mobility.
The Brookfield Adjustable Pediatric Chair features a uniquely molded seat and backrest designed specifically to help children maintain proper central posture.
Perfect for accommodating multiple children of different sizes, the Brookfield’s height, backrest height, and seat depth are adjustable, as are the closed-base, removable armrests. Comfortable and easy to clean, this adaptive chair can also be portable with a mobile dolly base for maximum versatility.
Smirthwaite’s Zoomi and Zoomi Plus Height-Adjustable High Chairs make perfect all-in-one school chairs and desks. Accommodating a wide range of sizes and ages, this chair highlights adjustable components that grow along with the child - making it a cost-saving option for one child at home, or for the use of multiple children in a school or therapy setting.
The seat and footrest height and depth can be changed quickly to suit changing activities as well. The Zoomi Plus adds four swivel casters for easy transport, ski legs to enhance stability, and easy-to-clean padding for the backrest and seat.
For kids living with spastic or unwanted movements, the Hardrock Anti-Rocking Pediatric Chair features a unique anti-thrust system to help prevent excessive rocking motions. It also features width and height adjustable thoracic supports and a comfortable seat that can be adjusted in both height and depth.
Available in either a high or low back model, the amazing Hardrock offers an extensive array of accessories and options to personalize its use to multiple individual children.
Cleverly designed to facilitate inclusion without the feeling of being singled out, the Foxdenton Classroom School Chair has a similar appearance to any conventional kind of school chair. But its unobtrusive appearance disguises several supportive features, such as proper postural support, structural support to prevent tipping with children prone to rocking, and adjustable side supports.
The Height-Adjustable Tilt Study Desk provides convenient access for children of all ages, and versatility to be used in a variety of ways, and at preferred angles to suit different activities. The desktop opens for convenient storage, and the height can be adjusted to fit a wide range of children.
The Folding Height-Adjustable Activity Table also offers convenient height-adjustability for multiple children to use, and for kids to go from sitting to standing positions while engaged in activities. Foldable for compact storage and portability, this table can be utilized for a wide array of activities, from schoolwork to meal times.
Utilizing their founders’ experience combined with expert and real-world input from professional therapists, parents, and kids themselves, Smirthwaite not only pioneered the special needs adaptive equipment industry, but they have also continued to lead the way with innovations in simplicity, posture control, and ease of use.
To shop all of Smirthwaite's amazing pediatric equipment, check out Smirthwaite's catalog on Rehabmart.com. And, if you're interested in more news, buying guides, and helpful caregiving tips, be sure to come back and visit us at Caregiver University.
Co-founder/CEO of Rehabmart, Pediatric Occupational Therapist, husband, and father. Passionate about connecting special needs kids with superb nutrition, sensory integration, and complementary health strategies. Excited about Rehabmart's mission to become the premier online educational platform which empowers caregivers by spotlighting innovative devices and interventions to achieve optimal patient response and recovery.
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