The Baffin chair makes the school day easier at Skolen ved Skoven

The school, Skolen ved Skoven in Denmark is saving time during the day due to using the two Baffin chairs, that they have bought for two pupils with multifunctional disabilities. It is now possible for the teachers and assistants to help the two pupils to get from lying down, over sitting position to standing position without moving them to another chair. That saves a lot of time, that they can now use on the teaching and relational work with the class.

Before buying the Baffin chairs, the teachers in Pernille Jespersen-Kaae’s class at Skolen ved Skoven spent a lot of time helping the two girls, who now uses the Baffin chairs, getting from their chair to their standing-system. The school is a special school for children with learning difficulties. In the class, where Pernille Jespersen-Kaae is teaching, some of the pupils have multifunctional disabilities. Because of that, the teachers and assistants use a lot of time moving the pupil from their chairs to the standing-systems during the day. Starting to use the Baffin chairs for two of the pupils have made a significant difference for the teachers.

“We don’t need to transfer the two girls from chair to standing-system, and we can really see how much time is saved because of that. Suddenly we are ahead of time with a lot of work, and that saves time to focus on the teaching,” says Pernille Jespersen-Kaae.

Simple, safe and flexible

The physiotherapist at the school, Birgitte Bie is supervising the teachers on how to use the Baffin chairs. She makes sure, that the chairs are adjusted correctly.

“The chairs are very simple and easy to use for the teachers, and they are safe to use. It is almost impossible to do it wrong. The chairs have some features, that makes sure, you move the child correctly going from lying dawn to sitting, to standing position. That gives the teachers a great control over the chair,” says Birgitte Bie.

The number of times the teachers have to move the two girls from chair to standing-system are now limited to a minimum. The pupils are put in the Baffin chairs in the morning and use them most of the day. That makes it possible for them to stand up several times a day.

“If the two pupils are tired after standing for 5 minutes, we can easily sit them down again. And we can help them get to standing position very fast, which means, that they get to stand up more often. That is possibly the best part of using the chair”, Birgitte Bie explains.

“Have we missed something?”

In the first week of using the Baffin chair, the teachers were wondering if they had missed something, because suddenly they weren’t as busy as usual. They found out, that is was because they are saving time on moving the two pupils from chair to standing-system.

“Before the Baffin chairs, the teachers had to leave the class-room, when they had to move the pupils, because they needed a lift. With the Baffin chairs, they don’t need to leave the class-room, and that saves a lot of time,” says Birgitte Bie.

Good for both the children and the grown-ups

It is not only the teachers who benefit from the Baffin chairs. Pernille Jespersen-Kaae says, that it is also of great advantage for the pupils, that they can easily go from sitting to standing position. Now it is possible for the pupils to stand up several times a day. Furthermore, it is less interrupting for the pupils, that they don’t have to be lifted from one chair to another during the day.

“It is now possible for us to let the two pupils stand up whenever its fits in with the teaching. That gives the pupils a greater learning outcome, because they can participate equally with the other kids. We also have the impression that the Baffins chairs are comfortable for the pupils to both sit and stand in,” says Pernille Jespersen-Kaae.

Possible to install a speaking-computer

One of the pupils use an eye-controlled speaking-computer, that help her communicate with the teachers and the other children. It has been possible to install the computer to the Baffin chair. In that way, she can use the computer both in sitting and standing position during the day.

“That is very important and a great advantage of using the chair,” says Birgitte Bie.