Flexible, Fidget-Friendly Seating

Students with sensory issues may find traditional chairs, desk, and carrels to be rigid and restrictive. Soft and floor-level seating such as alpha egg chairs, bean bags, floor chairs, floor desks, self-compressing chairs, and fit ball seats offer a more comfortable option for reading.

In addition, many neurodiverse learners process sensory information more efficiently when they can fidget or rock (Kapp et al., 2019). Wobble stools and rocking chairs can help accommodate these learners.

At Penn State Libraries we hope to expand our offerings of these types of seating options, both in designated sensory rooms but also throughout our study spaces. We’ll upload more pictures as the project unfolds at Penn State.

Two students sit on lounge chairs, one is using a laptop, a third student uses their phone while sitting in an Alpha Egg chair which surrounds their head — Students in the sensory room at Penn State Brandywine.

Three students sit on two blue beanbag chairs using phone or tablets under a sign that says Welcome In! Fidgets, headphones, lappads, puzzles, visonboard supplies and more with an arrow pointing left

Photo of the sensory room in Pattee Library with 2 chairs, table, and lighting. — Credit: Jennifer Cifelli / Penn State. Creative Commons

a blue and white chair with ottoman, concave shaped — Alpha Egg Chairs are amazing. They are almost sensory rooms in themselves. They offer outlets for an amplifier

Various snapshots of seating in Penn State’s sensory spaces. Giving students searing options is key to reducing proprioceptive stress (find out more about proprioceptive senses).

Sensory-Friendly Libraries

Building Spaces & Building Belonging

Flexible, Fidget-Friendly Seating