Evaluating the Use of Stability Ball Chairs for Children with ASD in a Clinic Setting

Brennan et al. (2021) swapped regular chairs for stability ball chairs during clinic sessions. They used an alternating-treatments design with preschoolers who have autism.

Each child sat on a ball chair during some tasks and a normal chair during others. The team tracked on-task and in-seat behavior across conditions.

The ball chair boosted on-task behavior for most kids. In-seat behavior also improved, but the gain was smaller and varied by child.

Overall, the study shows a positive effect, especially for staying focused.

Krombach et al. (2020) ran a nearly identical test in homes and saw the same lift in attending and sitting. The match makes the clinic finding more believable.

Schilling et al. (2004) did the first therapy-ball study with preschoolers years ago. Their large gains paved the way for today's smaller but still useful effects.

Bloom-Williams et al. (2024) tried stability stools and scoop rockers with at-risk kindergarteners. Like Brennan, they saw quick jumps in in-seat behavior, showing the idea works beyond autism.

You can place a $20 stability ball on your existing chair base and likely see better focus within the first session. Start with one table-time activity, collect quick data, and adjust per child. The tool is low cost, portable, and easy to remove if it flops.