Category: Special Needs

When sitting on a conventional flat chair or static wheelchair, individuals with physical disabilities and neurological conditions often face severe biomechanical challenges. Without stable pelvic support, the torso collapses, the spine curves into a slumped “C” shape, and upper-limb movement becomes heavily compromised.

The concept of adaptive saddle seating originated in Australia in 1988. Mary Gale, a qualified Australian Occupational Therapist at Hornsby Hospital in Sydney, noticed a remarkable physiological phenomenon: patients with severe physical trauma and neurological impairments who could not sit unsupported on a standard seat could sit upright, with balance and symmetry, when mounted on horseback.

By replicating the natural rider’s saddle position, the Bambach Saddle Seat was engineered to stabilize the pelvis in a neutral position, open the hip angle to 135°, and restore the natural “S” curve of the spine. Today, Bambach posture chairs are prescribed across Australia by Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Physiotherapists as clinically validated assistive technology.

Real Australian Case Studies: Transforming Special Needs Posture

Case Study 1: Ruby – Managing Muscular Atrophy & Classroom Fatigue

• Clinical Background: Ruby was diagnosed with muscular atrophy, a condition causing progressive muscle weakness and difficulty maintaining upright posture over extended periods.
• The Postural Problem: In a standard classroom chair, Ruby suffered severe postural collapse. Her pelvis tilted backward (posterior pelvic tilt), collapsing her spine into a flattened lumbar “C” curve with hunched shoulders and forward head projection. To view her work, she hyperextended her cervical spine and protruded her chin, leading to rapid physical exhaustion, thoracic compression, and an elevated risk of progressive spinal deformities.
• The Bambach Intervention: Ruby’s Occupational Therapist recommended trialling a Bambach Small Adaptive Saddle Chair fitted with a reduced abduction seat, standard backrest, an 80 mm drop-through gas lift, and locking castors.
• Clinical Outcome:
  • Neutral Pelvic Alignment: Opening Ruby’s hip angle naturally rotated her pelvis into a neutral upright position, eliminating the slumped “C” curve.
  • Upper Limb Independence: With her core and lower body stabilized, her head and shoulders returned to a comfortable, neutral position. This freed her arms from bracing, allowing her to focus on fine motor tasks and schoolwork without premature fatigue.
  • Optimized Respiration: Restoring natural lumbar lordosis expanded her thoracic cavity, reducing abdominal compression and supporting overall respiratory function.

“With her pelvis now in its neutral position, Ruby can assume and maintain a correct posture, which greatly improves her ability to perform functional tasks as well as working longer without fatigue.” — Bambach Clinical Case Report

Case Study 2: David – Adult Cerebral Palsy & Functional Mobility

• Clinical Background: David lives with Cerebral Palsy characterized by increased adductor muscle tone, predominantly on his right side.
• The Postural Problem: David’s tight hip adductors made walking difficult, confining him largely to a wheelchair. When seated sacrally in his wheelchair or on flat chairs, his shoulders hunched, his shoulder blades winged, his chin protruded, and his pelvis pulled obliquely to the right.
• The Bambach Intervention: David trialled a Bambach Saddle Seat adjusted to accommodate his frame and computer workstation.
• Clinical Outcome:
  • Inhibition of Abnormal Tone: The saddle seat’s contoured design held David’s hips abducted and extended at a 45° angle, inhibiting abnormal muscle tone and restoring symmetrical alignment.
  • Active Weight Bearing & Mobility: Rather than remaining passive, David’s legs and feet achieved full plantar contact with the floor. He began actively using his legs to push, pull, and propel his chair around the room.
  • Gait and Functional Gains: Activating his postural core and back muscles significantly improved his spinal strength. David reported walking greater distances independently, reducing his reliance on his wheelchair during daily outings.

“My back is a lot straighter and it has helped my walking, as I can now walk straighter and have more strength in my back.” — David, Bambach User

Biomechanical Comparison: Conventional Seating vs. Bambach Adaptive Saddle Seating

Tested Strength & Trust: AFRDI Level 6 Certification & NDIS Approval

When prescribing adaptive seating for special needs users, durability, structural integrity, and clinical safety are paramount.

• AFRDI Level 6 Certification: The Bambach Saddle Seat is certified to AFRDI Level 6 (Severe Commercial Use) by the Australasian Furnishing Research and Development Institute. This certification guarantees that the chair can withstand intense dynamic loads, sudden movements caused by spasticity, and continuous heavy-duty use in schools, clinics, and homes.
• Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) Endorsed: Recognised by clinical bodies across Australia for its proven anatomical benefits.
• NDIS Assistive Technology Funding: As a clinically validated posture device, the Bambach Saddle Seat is regularly funded under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) under Capital Supports / Assistive Technology.

Explore our complete range of Special Needs Adaptive Saddle Chairs or read more real-world results in our Australian Clinical Case Studies Archive. For paediatric requirements, view the Bambach Small Adaptive Chair Range.

All of us, particularly those with physical impairments, need to sit in the best posture chair possible to avoid deformities developing or deteriorating. The key to good posture and a healthy spine is the pelvis being secure in an upright, neutral position while sitting. Using the best ergonomic office chair available can help to prevent future disabilities, and improve the quality of life for children and adults with special needs. The Bambach Saddle Seat is used by health professionals and carers worldwide as a posture chair, with case studies showing dramatic improvement for people with mild to severe disabilities aged from two to ninety years old.

This month, we discuss the advantages of using the Bambach Saddle Seat as an ergonomic chair for children and adults with special needs:

Postural Control

The first advantage of the Bambach is that it allows more postural control for people with disabilities. Many specially made seats are often bulky, cumbersome to move, and distort natural spinal alignment, with the result that function is actually impaired and can further disable and disempower those with special needs. In a Bambach saddle stool, the muscles of postural control are activated so that they can work in balance, rather than being inactive as in conventional seating and wheelchairs. We provide the best ergonomic office chair for postural control, helping users maintain an upright stable pelvis, and placing the hips in their optimal resting position of 45 degree flexion. 

A Bambach posture chair helps make trunk and head control easier so that functional activity, such as speech and swallowing, is improved. It also helps the chest and abdomen to open up and maintain maximum space, so that breathing and digestion are easier, and allows individuals to bend forward from the hips rather than the waist. This allows both children and adults to maintain balance while reading and writing, even when leaning forward. 

Read our case studies to learn more about how the Bambach ergonomic desk chair can improve postural control.

Functional Improvements

The Bambach saddle stool also offers several functional improvements for children and adults living with special needs. Our range of saddle seats encourage independent sitting, and facilitate upper limb and hand coordination. By promoting an upright posture, the individual’s muscles are actively engaged, rather than in an inactive and collapsed state as we see in conventional seats or wheelchairs. In many cases, the Bambach Saddle Seat has improved breathing, digestion, circulation and lung function in users through maintaining thoracic, abdominal and pelvic spaces in an open position. 

By positioning the body with the centre of gravity over the seat bones, our saddle stools promote balance and symmetry, and aid coordination and dexterity. The active sitting position reduces the fatigue associated with poor posture, and encourages muscle activity and partial weight bearing with full plantar contact enabled. Providing a greater control of sensory output can also help reduce involuntary motor responses. These functional benefits are growing with every new and varied disability case, improving quality of life for the individual as well as for their families and friends. 

Each Bambach chair is tailored specifically to meet individual needs and requirements. Browse our range of ergonomic desk chairs to find the best saddle stool for you.

Positive Social and Psychological Impact

Another advantage of the Bambach is the way it can positively impact the self-esteem and independence of users. This is particularly important for the healthy psychological development of children. Most disabled children wish to be as much like other children as possible, participating in school activities, excursions, family outings and other activities like their peers. Wheelchairs can inhibit socialisation, with disabled children unable to easily see or communicate with others because of the bulk of the seat. With a Bambach posture chair, maintaining an upright posture, eye contact and speech all become easier, making socialising more natural. 

We pride ourselves on providing the best ergonomic office chair to facilitate enhanced functional ability and mobility. In conventional seating, poor posture can inhibit writing, drawing and the use of educational equipment, resulting in learning deficiencies. With a saddle stool, writing, schoolwork and performance in hobbies improve due to increased efficiency and the ability to control the upper body and arms in an upright, stable position. The Bambach Saddle Seat can also improve self-esteem in users, who are able to perform personal self-care tasks such as meal preparation, washing and dressing more easily than in a wheelchair. 

On our Bambach Accessories page, you will find a range of special needs accessories to increase mobility including the H-harness, which offers additional body stability, and the LAP Strap, for our customers who require the option of being clipped into their seat for safety or added pelvic support. 

Growth In Children And Adolescents

Finally, using the Bambach Saddle Seat can stimulate normal bone growth in children and adolescents. In both children and teenagers, muscles and tendons often grow at unpredictably differing rates. Conventional seating and wheelchairs are not designed to allow for healthy growth, which can create deformities in the future. In a Bambach posture chair, muscle activity and movement is increased due to the dynamic sitting position, stimulating bone growth. Muscle length and range of movement in the joints are also maintained in our ergonomic desk chair because of the half-stand position of the Bambach, righting reactions as well as midline alignment.

The Bambach is the original saddle seat, designed and manufactured in Australia by occupational therapist Mary Gale. Our saddle stools are tested by AFRDI to the highest standards and are recommended by health professionals worldwide. 

Contact one of our experienced staff members today to discuss how the Bambach Saddle Seat can be customised to suit individuals and help a wide range of special needs conditions. It is also recommended that you contact your healthcare provider, as you may be eligible for funding and a trial of a posture chair in your home, workplace or school.