Effects of a standing table on work productivity and posture in an adult with developmental disabilities

The standing table is an assistive device designed to encourage occupational performance of the upper extremities while helping the person compensate for limitations in standing posture. We conducted three single-subject studies of a standing table used by a 52-year-old man with spastic cerebral palsy and mental retardation. In the first study, positioning in the standing table resulted in no discernible difference in work output per hour in comparison to his customary seated posture. In the second study, positioning in the standing table resulted in an unexpectedly small increase in work output in comparison to his customary method of standing without special support at the work bench. In the third study, we demonstrated that the standing table dramatically improved the erectness of his posture as measured by an infrared motion detector in comparison to his customary method of standing. Because work productivity depends on multiple factors, improved posture and biomechanical stability do no always result in a proportionate improvement in work output. There remain multiple justifications of equipment such as the standing table in work settings for adults with developmental disabilities.