Everything we do is about movement. Without movement, we couldn’t express our feelings, take care of ourselves, have relationships, or go anywhere. Can you sit absolutely still? If you are still reading this, your eyes are moving.
Much of our movement is affected by the proprioceptive system. The proprioceptive system works in partnership with our vestibular system (head movement and gravity). Proprioception is the unconscious sensation of movement in the muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons in our bodies. Input from this system tells us when and how our muscles are contracting or stretching, and when and how our joints are bending, extending or being compressed. These sensations occur when we are moving and when we are still.
I’ll bet you never think about it. For most of us, we rarely notice the sensations of muscles and joints unless we deliberately pay attention. That is as it should be. Proprioception provides the “connection” between the brain and muscles, and produces smooth and controlled movements.
If the proprioceptive sense is not working well, a child will find it difficult to move with smooth and coordinated movements. He might have a difficult time going up and down stairs with ease. She’ll make a movement too “hard” or too “soft”. He will have difficulty with both gross and fine motor tasks such as riding a bike, writing, walking, crawling, buttoning a shirt, screwing a lid on a jar or playing sports. These children usually have a lot of trouble doing something when they cannot see it with their eyes.
The proprioceptive system also assists in organizing the body and in “motor planning” – a person’s ability to think through, (plan) and then physically carry out a task. How to climb up on the counter to reach something. How to get from point A to point B with an obstacle in the middle. How to tie shoes; how to skip or gallop.
Most of the time, “motor planning” to learn new tasks occurs naturally, and when a child has performed the task so many times it becomes automatic, the task has become a skill, and planning is no longer required. (Adults motor plan, too – think about rock climbing.)
As parents, we can help our children with motor planning. You already do it. Think about how you talk your children through swinging a bat, or throwing a ball.
Here are some ways to stimulate your child’s proprioceptive system:
• Activities that involve: climbing over, under, through or around
• Activities that involve imitation, such as Follow the Leader
• Games that involve simple verbal directions to plan actions, like Simon Says
• Hugging!
• Rolling over
• Balancing on one foot or kicking alternate feet
• Lots of variation in types of body movement – stomping, twisting, swaying, swinging
• Vacuuming
• Piggy back or horsey rides
• Jumping on a trampoline
• Bean bag chairs
• Rolling your child up in a blanket (Like a pig-in-a-blanket!)
• Wheel barrow walks
• Tug of war
-posted by Miss Analiisa, who has a HUGE appreciation for the proprioceptive system, having had a child with motor planning difficulties.
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