Lessons
Topic 3: What Do a Well-Developed and a Poorly Developed Vestibular System look like?
A well developed vestibular system allows a child to feel confident in his body and how it moves. Which also means his brain is not preoccupied with how he is moving so it can focus on building other skills, including classroom skills. Children whose vestibular system isn’t functioning properly may avoid vestibular activities, or seek them to excess. Either way, they are being distracted from other skill development while possibly also being labeled and probably being seen as misbehaving.
Signals the vestibular system isn’t operating properly include:
- challenges with balance and coordination
- stumbling and running into walls, furniture, other children
- challenges with personal space
- challenges with walking straight
- challenges with sports
- clumsiness
- dizziness
- nausea associated with movement
- challenges with focus or tracking with the eyes
- challenges with traffic or crowds
- challenges with bright lights, tv or computer monitors
- challenges with depth perception
- poor handwriting
- underdeveloped core strength
- w sitting, or sitting with poor posture
- challenges with motor planning like figuring out how to move the body in a new way
- challenges with problem solving.