The Amazing Vestibular System

​​Right now, as you as you are sitting there reading, your vestibular system is hard at work. It enables you to keep your head upright, in midline and to not sway so you are able to keep your eyes in front of you. Your vestibular system, while lesser known than more commonly referred to sensory systems such as vision and hearing, is really the anchor or all sensory awareness.  The vestibular system provides richness to the other systems by supporting them.  Located in your inner ear, and interpreted by the brain, the vestibular system continuously monitors balance and equilibrium. Put simply, it tells your body where it is in space.  Your vestibular system (VS) also helps provide spatial awareness (an organized knowledge of objects in relation to oneself). Let’s take an example to help fully explain this concept.  A five year old little girl is playing in the grass with her friends.  They are taking turns somersaulting down a small hill, giggling all the while.  As she is tumbling, this little girl is also using her vision to check for rocks and trees. She is using her auditory sense to listen for her friends voices so she doesn’t run into them.  She is also using her tactile sense to make sure she avoids any holes or other objects which might hurt to roll over.  Meanwhile, the VS is actively telling her which way is up and which way is down, whether her body is following her head on an accurate forward trajectory and is providing information about where her head is in space.  Her entire nervous system is giving feedback that this is fun and also safe for her, so she is able to experience the joy of the movement.  Kids naturally want to explore in this manner. A healthy vestibular system is the root at the bottom of all sensory exploration and play.  It gives the human body confidence to move in new ways that may seem scary at first.  Vestibular exploration begins in the womb as the baby flip-flops in their mama’s tummy.  As a baby grows, they are of course rocked and bounced, activating the VS every time they are moved.  Once they are able to fully move themselves, they know how different body positions feel and they gain confidence in gravity and their muscles to hold them upright.  Challenging the VS is a natural inclination which is required in order to set the groundwork for all movement.  A healthy VS thus gives a child a sense of safety so that they are able to move with self assurance through the world.  It allows kids to jump through hoops, bounce on trampolines, spin holding their parent’s hands and hang upside down on a tree branch. How to help develop your child’s vestibular skills Make use of your local playground!  Between visits to the grocery store and home, stop at that new playground and have your child give the spinner a try.  If they are scared about trying something, you get on a swing first and show them how much fun you’re having.  They will want to join you.  Going to new playgrounds helps develop new skills and will keep them from getting bored.   play “monkey” by hanging upside down on a small slide, go hands first with a parent at the bottom for safety tilt your head back while spinning for older kids, practice jumping from a swing instead of just stepping off bounce on the ladder crossing The only limit is your imagination! Explore kids yoga!  There are lots of great kid yoga videos available and it’s especially great for those rainy or cold snowy days.  Yoga incorporates many poses which rely on the head being in different positions and it’s a great way to learn balance, a byproduct of a healthy VS.  Yoga, as an added benefit, will also strengthen and provide flexibility to growing muscles. Home activities!  There are lots of ways to promote a healthy VS in your own home. blanket swinging:  you and a partner swing your child in a blanket. stair slide:  use an old cardboard box as a slide down a bank of steps jump on the beds sing songs such as ring around the rosy, or rock back and forth as you sing row your boat.  Wheels on the bus has lots of fun rounds which incorporate movement let them jump off the couch onto cushions your office chair is a super fun spin toy play “popcorn”… as you pop some in the microwave or stovetop, squat down on the ground and pop up into the air, just like the kernels Out and about!  For special outings, choose activities which get your kids outside and away from screens. water parks and amusement parks offer ample opportunities to get those bodies moving! hiking is just walking but spinning down a trail and hanging from a tree branch motivate kids to keep moving aerial parks are super challenging and fun swimming and jumping into water These are just a few ideas to develop a growing vestibular system, but along the way you may discover some new ones of your own.  Feel free to comment and share any ideas you may have!  It is very likely that you may also find that your own aging vestibular system is not as skilled as your child’s when it comes to being able to handle spinning or bouncing.  That’s okay!  Just make sure you provide a good example to your child when it comes to willingness, safety and fun. ​Jeanne From an article published in kidsmoveandtalk.com.

Why Can’t My Child Focus?

As your child goes back to school, you may be concerned about his or her ability to pay attention.

At APT, we see a lot of kids who have a hard time paying attention.  They fidget, they get up, their eyes wander.  There are as many reasons for this as there are kids!  By paying attention yourself, you can help your child focus on the task at hand.

You’ve got to move it, move it…  I apologize in advance for getting that song in your head, but it’s true!  Movement kick starts the brain’s ability to pay attention.  Provided in the proper ways, movement helps a child’s focus.  A great way to start the school year is to walk to school, or if you can’t, park further away and walk.  Try and get some movement going in the morning.  Stay away from the tv.

Talk to your child’s teacher.  Giving them a head’s up on your child is important.  Lots of teachers have great expertise in helping kids to focus with such programs as BrainGym.  Doing wall push ups or dots and squeezes prior to activities which require focus is helpful.  Some teachers set aside long periods for seated work.  Let your child’s teacher know that he or she will need a movement break (which can benefit the whole class!)  If you need suggestions for how to talk to your child’s teacher, ask us!

Read to your child, or do crafts.  When kids see that if they put the time in, they will be rewarded, they are more likely to follow through.  Try your hardest to keep going even when your child wants to give up (squirming, eye-rolling…).  Your commitment to the end result (getting to the ending of the story, a complete craft project) will go a long way to helping your child know the consequences of diligence.

Pay attention to posture and breathing.  When kids are slumped or don’t otherwise have room to expand their breathing muscles, they engage in more shallow breathing.  As such, their bodies are telling them, it’s okay to relax and check out now.  When kids sit up, they are more able to breathe efficiently and thereby pay attention better.  Try it yourself.

Board games.  Those board games that are gathering dust?  Pull them out of your closet and give them a whirl.  A game with a beginning, middle and end is a great way to reward sustained concentration.  You may have more fun than you think you will!  See us for ideas on games your child might like.

Go outside and play.  Tag, hide and seek and catch are great ways to encourage longer periods of focus.  Working in the yard, garden or tool shed with dad are great ways to motivate longer periods of attention.

Rethink technology.  Many of us parents are loathe to allow a child to spend time in front of a screen.  Read this article on the Touch Screen Generation.  It may help you figure it out.  Limiting their time and having them earn screen time are good ideas.

Examine your own reactions.  Try not to let them give up, even when accompanied by whining.  Also, don’t run to help them at the first sign of frustration.  It’s good for your child to be uncomfortable and have to struggle to figure something out.  Now is the time for them to learn those skills.

As always, ask your OT to help you if you have questions or concerns.

Thanks to Pediastaff for some ideas in this post.