Water Table

Water play allows students with spasticity of lower arm and hand muscles to relax and improve motor and sensory skills. Students at the Copper Country Intermediate School District (CCISD) currently use a tub of water placed on top of a table to assist in physical therapy activities. The primary weakness with this method is that the height of the table is not adjustable. The students' wheelchairs range in height from 25 to 35 inches causing some students to reach farther to gain access to the water. A second weakness is that the tub is not stable and can be pulled off of the table. This type of activity therefore requires several aides, creating an unnecessarily chaotic environment. Finally, it is time consuming to remove water from the bin.

To remedy these problems, a new water play therapy table was designed. There are products on the market made for sand and water play, but these tables are only 24 inches high and are not adjustable. The design was broken into two sub-systems: 1) surface to incorporate water play (tabletop), and 2) system for height adjustment (table legs). The final design, pictured in Figure 1, utilizes a custom made tabletop with fiberglass bin and a hydraulic lift system to adjust the height. The tabletop has a semi-circular cut out to facilitate student access to the water.

Impact

All of the students in the CCISD classroom have had the opportunity to use the water play table. The semicircular cutout and height adjustability are key factors in allowing all of the students to easily reach the water play area. The sloping bin allows the aides to control the depth of water for different students, which aids in its therapeutic use. Students who use this table for relaxation of arm contractures need deeper water while those who enjoy splashing need very little water. The table will be used in both play and therapy, and the new device allows all of the students to fully participate in water activities.

Funding

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0079969 and/or a Research Experience for Undergraduate supplement. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.