Early Activity System User Manual
p23
Clinical reasons for side lying
Sitting is considered a vital part of the
developmental sequence because of
the other skills which are based upon
its foundation. Many research studies
have looked at the importance of
sitting, and some research has shown
lying ability to be related to sitting
ability. Children who can bring their
hands and feet together in midline
(such as in back or side lying) have
shown improved sitting ability
16
. This
helps to reinforce to us the importance
of the typical developmental sequence.
Physical goals
The main physical purposes of sitting
are to stabilise the trunk and pelvis
allowing the arms and hands to be
free. In turn this allows handling
of objects, exploration, increased
learning opportunities and interaction
with the environment1. Baby can be
encouraged to reach, grasp and release
toys, bang blocks together in midline,
and throw things! When neck muscles
are stronger, baby can now turn his
head through three quarters of a circle.
Long sitting (with legs out in front) also
helps to stretch the muscles at the
back of the legs (hamstrings) which
can often be tight in children with
developmental delay.
Cognitive goals
When a child lies down, he is able to
view the world in a horizontal plane.
FLOOR SITTING
But when he sits up, he can see the
world from a vertical plane. This helps
him to realise that his environment is
three dimensional – he is starting to
learn the spatial awareness concepts
of depth and distance. Sitting is also a
more social posture – the majority of
us communicate with each other from
an upright posture, whether sitting or
standing. Baby is becoming much more
aware of the others around him and
this leads to an increased interest in
his environment. He will be developing
a sense of object permanence – the
awareness that toys are there even
if he cannot see them – he may even
look for things he has thrown away!
Sensory goals
With head control developing well,
and when securely supported in a
sitting posture, baby’s hands are
free to explore a much greater
range of textures, shapes, and sizes.
Use a variety of these (always with
supervision) to give your child a range
of sensory experiences. Baby will be
learning about rough and smooth, light
and heavy, big and small, up and down.
