We Love Rifton Seating
We at Rifton thank the following therapists and teachers who use Rifton Seating with the children they serve, for allowing us to share these appreciative testimonials.
The Rifton Seating System provides secure, comfortable and functional seating in the classroom and at home. Fully adjustable, this system of three chairs offers a wide variety of choices to help you customize positioning to meet the specific requirements of your child. Besides selecting the supports for each child, a therapist can reduce or gradually remove the accessories as the child’s motor skills improve.
Learn more:
Read Guidelines for Functional Use of Rifton Seating
We love the Rifton Seating System in my school system! Teachers love the High Back Mobile Chair because it looks so good and because it can easily be moved around the classroom and to other places in the building. Students love it because it allows them to sit with their peers and the chairs don’t look so “clinical.” Therapists love the Mobile Chairs because of their adjustability, modular parts, and mobility.
We have primarily used the High Back Mobile Chair with students who require a lot of trunk and lower extremity support. We have found that through the key supports available with the chair, many students with significant motor problems can participate in school activities requiring hand function.
Joseph, the student in the photo, is a good example. He has cerebral palsy with a very strong extensor pattern in his trunk and legs, and his arms are often held up in flexion with shoulder retraction. When placed in a Rifton chair with the trunk support, seat belt, abductor, sandals, and tray, Joseph can relax enough to bring his arms down for functional activities. He sits at the same level as his same-aged peers and participates in the classroom activities. We can gradually remove some of the support features as his condition permits.
In a school system we need customizable equipment for use by a variety of students. The modular design of the Rifton Seating System provides us with a high degree of flexibility, and the parts are easily added or removed. Even the width of the chair can be varied with extra lateral pads. When we order a Rifton Seating System, we usually order most of the available parts so that we can use the chair to accommodate students with varying needs.
Patricia Sachon, MS, PT
Special Education Related Services
Norfolk, VA
I have found the Rifton Seating System to be very well designed and fabricated for ease of adjustment, posture, and positioning. All of the components are durable, and well designed. It is by far the best adjustable chair I have used, both for adjustability and stability. It is very user friendly.
Ronald Lanquist, CO
Rockford, IL
I like the Rifton chair because of the adaptable features that it has, such as the tilt feature and options like the lateral supports, abductor pommel and leg prompts. We are able to give our most physically involved students fairly good positioning with this chair. I love the new base and wheels and the push handle is a god-send!
Maryann Delaney, PT
Preschool Education Program
Germantown, MD
The small Mobile Rifton Chair allows my student access to all parts of our classroom and school with seamless transitions, and enables her to stay with her peers.
Bonnie Rabinak
Special Education Teacher
Naperville, IL
I like the mobility of the Rifton Seating System, for ease of movement around the classroom. The profile of the chair looks natural--not too "therapeutic" in appearance. Because my student has poor head control and fatigues easily, I appreciate the ease of the tilt system. We can let her recline slightly when needed, without disturbing class routine. The trunk strap provides just the right amount of support without being too bulky!
Karen Pierz, PT
Naperville School District
Naperville, IL
I am a Level III teacher in Iowa, currently with six to eight high-needs students, with a variety of disabilities. Rifton chairs have been meeting the needs of my students for 20 years. The Rifton Seating system allows for one of my students with multiple sensory needs to rock continuously, while doing individual work or leisure time activities.
Other students who are easily over-stimulated by any movement/activity can use the same system, but for them we lock it into the stationary position. The versatility and stability of the chair make it an important piece of furniture in our classroom, and the Mobility Base has made moving the chair with the student in it effortless.
Sandra Wagner
Special Education Teacher
Forest City, IA
