New Student-Adjustable Desk Boosts Concentration for Children with Learning Challenges

    CHICAGO, IL, April 25, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Research has found that children with learning challenges, including dyslexia, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and other conditions, perform better in school if allowed to physically move during classroom instruction time. These benefits, research is discovering, extend to students in the general population as well. To promote this accommodation and fill this important need without disrupting class activities, the Marvel Group has introduced The Focus Desk . This unique re-imagining of the typical classroom desk enables children to easily and silently adjust the height of their desk from a sitting to standing mode, without adult assistance or class disruption.

The Focus Desk was designed by the Marvel Group's engineers in cooperation with the University of Chicago Hyde Park Day School, a school that provides a supportive setting for children with attention deficits, dyslexia, and other learning disabilities. "Marvel let our faculty and students take the lead in describing what they would like in an ideal desk," notes Casey Crnich, Executive Director of the Hyde Park Day School. "We had no preconceived notions of what the desk would look like in the end."

To develop its revolutionary design, Marvel worked with Hyde Park teachers and students for over a year, designing and testing a series of prototype desks at the two schools in Chicago and Northfield, Illinois. "Everyone brainstormed about the features and functions they wanted," added Crnich. Marvel developed prototypes that students had the chance to try for a week, then used the feedback to improve the design. In response, Marvel developed the revolutionary FeatherTouch lift system that silently lifts or lowers the desk surface with minimal effort.

In addition to the FeatherTouch lift system, several other ideas surfaced from the team including a host of efficient functions to enhance organization and concentration. Drop leaves on each side of the desk allow students to expand their workspace. Integrated study carrel walls pop up for test taking or quiet study. Integrated storage features include color coded hanging files, pencil cups, cabinet space for notebooks and tablets, and an attached backpack hook. Lockable casters make the entire unit easily mobile, allowing teachers to form work groups or rearrange seating with no lifting required.

Most importantly, The Focus Desk boosts student achievement by promoting organization and independence. "The Focus Desk helps kids take control of their learning," says Crnich. "The desk is configured to help them do a variety of things on their own. It makes them more independent and thus helps them progress faster."

To learn more, contact Nancy Dellamore, Product Manager, at [email protected] or 603 248 0630. To see the The Focus Desk in action, visit http://marvelfocusdesk.com or watch The Focus Desk demonstration video.

About The Marvel Group
The Marvel Group is a 70 year-old Chicago-based manufacturer of a wide range of high-quality furnishings to large, small, and home office markets as well as the education market. Product lines range from office chairs and file cabinets to executive office furniture and open office work-stations. Marvel products are manufactured to ISO 9001 certified guidelines and backed by a lifetime warranty. The Marvel Group offers superior customer service serving five major industries to assure a problem free and timely project completion. For more information visit http://www.marvelgroup.com.

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