Proprioceptive and Vestibular Activities for SEN Learners

A functioning vestibular system, located within the inner ear, allows your body to understand how you are moving and how things around you are moving, helping to maintain balance and steadiness. Walking, running and even remaining upright without falling are all possible thanks to your vestibular system.

Vestibular organs inside the ear, sense your head movements and send this information to your brain. Movements provide information about your position and orientation within your surroundings. The vestibular system communicates with your eyes and muscles and your brain sends signals that tell your body how to remain in balance.

Why is the Vestibular Sense Important for Children?

The vestibular sense is perhaps the most important of all our senses as it helps keep us upright against gravity, helps to keep us orientated when we bend down and automatically adjusts our bodies to stop us from falling. When our vestibular system is working effectively we are able to confidently move and interact with our surroundings.

Vestibular input is one of the core elements of effective sensory processing. The vestibular system informs us of movement, gravity and changing head positions. It helps children to prepare their posture, maintain balance, calm themselves and regulate their behaviour.

As children grow and develop they need to be provided with plenty of opportunities to maintain a healthy vestibular processing system.

What Happens when our Vestibular System is not Working Well?

Some children are sensitive to vestibular input which means their brains respond to only a small amount of movement. Other children are slower to respond to input which means they need more movement to understand the information their vestibular sense receives. These children could seek out more movement or may be slow to respond to vestibular sensory input.

Signs of Vestibular Processing Problems

Children with vestibular difficulties may show a range of different behaviours. They may seem inattentive, anxious and inactive or they may demonstrate excess movements or appear to seek attention.

Children may have trouble walking on uneven surfaces, changing positions or may resist certain positions.

When there is a problem with vestibular processing children may exhibit:

• Poor visual processing - trouble with drawing, copying and letter reversals.
• Poor spatial awareness - difficulty pinpointing the location of something/navigating through an environment.
• Poor balance and posture.
• Sequencing deficits - the ability to perceive items in a specific order and to remember that sequence.
• Poor constructional abilities - difficulties forming objects or materials with the hands.
• Poor equilibrium.
• Avoiding activities where feet leave the floor or avoiding uneven floor surfaces.

Vestibular Input Activities

We can help children to stimulate their vestibular system by encouraging but not forcing special types of movement activities. Outdoor activities such as sliding, jumping, stopping and starting, wobbling and swinging are important for SEN children with vestibular processing difficulties. Activities which provide children with opportunities to change their head position and which challenge balance are useful.

Swinging

The back-and-forth or side-to-side motions of swinging offer consistent stimulation to the vestibular system. This regular input helps to enhance vestibular functioning, refining the brain's interpretation of balance and spatial orientation.

Children with vestibular processing difficulties may be anxious if their feet are off the ground, start with swings which are low to the ground at first.

Gentle, rhythmical linear movements can be calming and regulating whereas circular, rotational movement can be more stimulating. Children can also sit sideways in a swing so that they are straddling the seat. They can then be slowly pushed side-to-side as well as front-to-back.

Prone swinging is great for strengthening head and neck muscles and trunk extension. The use of bubbles can encourage children to keep their eyes and head up. An outdoor sensory swing can address balance and stability in a natural environment.

Teachers and therapists observe that children with autism can focus better, process information more efficiently and engage in tasks for longer after swinging.

Whether it's a Basket Swing or an Inclusive Wheelchair Swing, swings can make a huge impact on your playground and should always have a place on your play area.

Rocking

Rocking is an excellent way of stimulating the vestibular system. Children can feel their body move whilst their visual senses adapt to changing perspectives. Children with additional sensory needs such as those with autism may seek vestibular stimulation through 'stimming' when the body moves to seek the stimulation it is missing.

A sensory rocking chair can provide relaxing vestibular input. The repetitive motion can have a calming effect and improve body awareness. Play equipment, like the Rockies, provides a fantastic way for children to experience this form of play.

Sliding

Slides are another useful piece of equipment to encourage vestibular input as children need to hold themselves up against the pull of gravity. Sliding down a slide provides vestibular input that many students crave. Children could practise throwing a ball into a target as they move down a slide or rolling a small ball up a slide and catching it as it falls back down to develop hand-eye coordination.

There are also many benefits to climbing up the slide! it is an excellent heavy work activity which builds strength, coordination and motor planning.

The Use of Trampolines

Trampolines offer excellent vestibular stimulation through rhythmic bouncing motions. When children jump on a trampoline they experience changes in acceleration, deceleration and changes in direction which stimulate the vestibular system.

For children who are more hesitant during movement and may not enjoy big bounces, crawling or standing/walking on a trampoline still provides a good level of sensory input.

Activity ideas may include: jumping and crashing on the trampoline, jumping and locating visual targets, rhythmic bouncing to music or playing musical statues on the trampoline where children are required to stop jumping, balance and keep balanced when the music stops.

Adding an In-Ground Trampoline to your play area not only makes your playground stand out from the rest, but it also provides a constant resource for children to use to develop their vestibular skills.

A Balance Beam

A balance beam can be used in an obstacle course for children seeking vestibular input. To begin, balance beams can be created on the ground using tape before progressing to raised beams.

Children can simply walk along a balance beam with their arms out at shoulder height before experimenting with different movements such as tiptoeing or hopping. Encourage children to look up at a fixed point instead of down at their feet.

Practitioners can modify balance beams by changing the thickness of the line, adding turns, encouraging pupils to walk backwards or sideways, asking children to perform animal walks along the line or including upper body actions as well as walking.

Instead of creating a temporary balancing exercise, you could always have a balance beam installed on your playground. From the Twin Incline Balance Beams to the Log Balance Weaver with Horizontal Beam, you can find the perfect balance beam for your SEN children.

Precautions for Vestibular Sensory Input

Vestibular input has a significant impact and can potentially lead to negative reactions which may not become apparent until several hours after an activity.

Even if a child initially responds positively they can still experience sensory overload. Children with impaired sensory systems may struggle to recognise when they have received enough sensory input therefore adults need to show extra awareness.

What is Proprioception?

Proprioception is often called our hidden sixth sense. Proprioception involves your body's ability to sense its own position and movements. Proprioception can be an automatic reaction or subconscious process or a movement that you learn to control with practice.

Proprioceptors located in your muscles and joints allows your brain to know the position of your body in space. Your brain knows where your arms, legs and body are at any given moment which is crucial to maintaining balance.

Our proprioceptive sense is continually working even though we do not realise it. Our bodies are able to use the correct amount of push and pull and perform movements without even needing to look.

Our proprioceptive system helps us to:

• Carry out actions automatically such as walking on an uneven surface, picking up something heavy without losing balance or taking a sip of water without thinking about how to do it.
• Learn how to do a variety of tasks such as riding a bike, controlling and passing a football or performing a spin in the air and landing properly.
• Know how much force to use when performing an action. Being able to grade your level of force used is reliant upon having a highly functioning proprioceptive system.
• Maintain balance - the proprioceptive sense works with the vestibular sense to give our brains even more information about where our body is which helps with our balance.

What might it look like if our Proprioceptive Sense is not working well?

For some children with SEN their proprioceptive system may not be functioning effectively. They may need to seek out additional input to their muscles and joints so that they can regulate their behaviour and stay in control.

When a child needs to pay attention to where their body is in space at all times, they cannot focus on what is happening around them. They may not be able to automatically adjust to environmental changes. This can result in a child being clumsy or even fearful in certain situations.

Hypersensitivity

Children who struggle with processing proprioceptive information and are hypersensitive may experience difficulty changing directions and walking or crawling on uneven or unstable surfaces. They may feel disorientated after spinning, jumping or running and may also have difficulty manipulating small objects.

Hyposensitivity

Children who are hyposensitive may enjoy and seek all sorts of movement and can spin or swing for long periods. Children may have difficulty knowing where their bodies are in space and may appear floppy, leaning on people, furniture and walls for support.

Children can bump into objects and people, stumble frequently and have a tendency to fall.

Why is Grading of Force an Essential Skill?

Proprioception allows you to grade force for all fine and gross motor skills. When you write for example you need to use the correct amount of pressure so that your work can be seen but if you hold a pencil with too much force you may not be able to use it correctly and could even break it.

In the playground you need to be able to kick a ball with the right amount of force to reach your target without breaking anything or injuring anyone. To improve body awareness and graded force an occupational therapist will be able to provide targeted sensory integration activities which may include:

• Building a block tower
• Pouring liquids
• Practising running at slow, medium and fast levels
• Colouring different shades with the same crayon - ranging from light to dark green
• Peeling stickers
• Using playdough stamps

Heavy Work and Proprioception

Heavy work is a commonly recommended sensory activity that activates our proprioceptors. It involves moving with or against resistance which can help to calm and organise the brain.

Heavy work can be a good sensory strategy for a child that experiences sensory overload and is usually recommended for children with autism.

Heavy Work Activities

Activities which include resistance give extra proprioceptive input. Examples include:

• Pulling heavy objects such as a wagon
• Digging and pouring in the Sand Box using wet and dry sand
• Wall push-ups
• Pulling on a rope - Rope and Pulley Materials Mover
• Hanging from Forest Pull Up Bars
• Carrying bags
• Yoga
• Gardening

Pentagon Play provide a range of products to enable heavy work activities to be easily integrated into the school day.

Further Activities to Assist in the Development of Proprioception

Climbing

Climbing is an excellent activity to develop proprioception as children take their own body weight. Pulling on ropes, using a climbing wall, climbing nets and monkey bars helps to strengthen muscles and refine movements as well as being a fantastic calming and regulating activity.

Ball Games

Young children could practise throwing and catching balloons or beach balls. Try target throwing with small balls, water balloons or beanbags on the floor or at a wall. Vary the distance from the target so children gain an understanding of force.

The 4-Way Funnel Ball Chute provides an engaging and exciting way for your children to get involved in inclusive play, whilst improving their proprioception skills.

Playing on Playground Equipment

Children can be encouraged to use playground equipment such as climbing frames, slides, rollover bars and roundabouts which encourage children to take their own weight and therefore meet their own sensory needs.

From Active Play equipment to Imaginative and Creative playground equipment, selecting a variety of play area equipment can help you create an environment that promotes the growth of proprioceptive and vestibular skills.

Scooter Boards

Scooter boards are useful for providing both vestibular and proprioceptive input and can be particularly useful for children with Sensory Processing Disorder, ADHD or autism.

In order to use a scooter board, a child lies down flat on their belly across the board and uses their hands to push themselves around on the floor. If a child doesn't feel comfortable lying in the board they could push or pull it.

Children could take part in timed activity races where they try to beat their own time when putting bean bags into a box. Children could also hang onto a rope whilst they are pulled on the scooter board or children could move around for a set amount of time listening to music and stop when the music stops.

As well as receiving proprioceptive input children will work on their core strength when slightly raising their neck, head and chest. They also learn to coordinate their arm movements which uses both sides of the brain together and increase bilateral coordination.

The Importance of Regular Sensory Input for SEN Learners

Regular sensory input is needed in order for children's brains to support self regulation. If they aren't receiving regular proprioceptive input some children with SEN find it more challenging to regulate their emotions and subsequently display distressed behaviours.

To support children with feeling regulated, body awareness and understanding where their body is in space the inclusion of vestibular and proprioceptive activities which match children's level of development can be beneficial.

Activities work best when carried out in small frequent play sessions throughout the day and should be monitored over a period of 10-12 weeks in order to review impact. Activities can be provided by regular movement breaks throughout the day.

It may be beneficial for some pupils to take part in activities prior to the start of the school day to help with concentration, posture and focus in class. Sensory motor activities can also be incorporated into play and P.E. sessions.