Tilting Disc

Product Description

Physical 2

Skills

• The Tilting Disc can assist in developing gross motor skills such as lifting limbs, foot placement, and weight shifting.
• The Tilting Disc can stimulate and develop lower body and core muscles while stepping off and on the disc and keeping the torso upright.
• The Tilting Disc can assist developing gross motor planning skills that assist in organizing, sequencing and executing complex body movements.

Play Ideas

• To strengthen balance and coordination, instruct player to stand on the Tilting Disc and toss a ball bean bag back and forth with facilitator.
• To develop balance and core strength, instruct player to lay down on the Disc (back or belly) and “float / fly” over the ground by balancing on the Disc.  Use a weighted or exercise ball for player to hold to increase the challenge.
• To build strength and endurance, instruct player to stand to the right side of the Disc and step onto the far left side of it with his / her left foot followed by the right foot on the right side. Step off of the Disc to the left with the left foot followed by the right, and reverse the process. Count the number of completed rounds the player can complete in an allotted amount of time.

Adaptation Ideas

• To familiarize player with the action required to move the Tilted Disc, set the Disc in front of player and instruct player to place hands on the Disc opposite of one another to tilt it back and forth.
• Player can hold onto facilitator’s hands, a wall, or arm of a chair for additional support / balance as he /she is learning how to use the Disc.

Sensory 3

Skills

• Tilting Disc increases a player’s proprioceptive input as his / her feet, ankles and knees are engaged as he / she shifts weight bilaterally to tilt the Disc.
• Through the rocking movement, the Tilting Disc stimulates a player’s vestibular system thereby strengthening ability to process movement and sense of own body in space.
• Tilting Disc provides opportunity for increased sensory input through movement for players seeking additional sensory arousal to perform tasks.

Play Ideas

• Stand and rock on the Tilting Disc as a type of “sensory input break station” throughout the school day or therapy session to improve focus before returning to task.
• To assist in diminishing frustration and anxiety during seated activities, seat player on Tilting Disc to create a kinesthetic experience over the course of seated activity.
• Use the Tilting Disc as a platform under the players’ hands during push-ups as a method of proprioceptive input to the upper body.

Adaptation Ideas

• For additional auditory input, attached bells or sound emitting objects to the underside of the Disc to create sounds when the Disc is tilted by user.

Social/Emotional 4

Skills

• The Tilting Disc invites the development of social skills through its use as a turn taking game with peers.
• The Tilting Disc can assist in development of emotional self-regulation skills, thus allowing more opportunity for appropriate social expression.
• The Tilting Disc invites the development of self-confidence through physical mastery of coordination and balance on the Disc.

Play Ideas

• To develop social interaction skills, pair the Tilting Disc with balance beams, stepping stones, tunnel, etc. for a complex obstacle course competition with peers.
• To develop peer leadership skills, use the Tilting Disc as a platform in the middle of a play circle. Direct players to take turns standing on the Disc as the leader, and lead others through Simon Says or other mimic-type games.
• To develop self-confidence and sense of mastery, maintain a record book of the number of times a player is able to rock the Tilting Disc back and forth before stepping off to the ground. After a week of practice draw a chart or graph showing player progress.

Adaptation Ideas

• To ease player’s anxiety about falling off Tilting Disc and hurting oneself, place oversized cushions or thick mats on the floor around the Disc. Instruct player to walk around on the cushioning before stepping onto Disc.