Vestibular sense and Autism

Vestibular sense and Autism

Sensory Integration is an innate neurobiological process.

It is mainly integration and interpretation of sensory stimuli from the environment by the brain

In sensory integration process , there is an important sense called the vestibular sense

What is vestibular sense ?

There are structures in the inner ear called semi- circular canals  that can detect the movement and changes in position of the head . Well when you feel giddy , it is vestibular sense that is acting up

Infact it is this sense that tells you when your head is tilted or upright

So when there is dysfunction in this sensory system the child can get either hypersensitive. This can be seen that child has fearful reactions towards swings , ramps , slides and difficulty to climb or ascend the stairs . This child might seem clumsy or fearful in space when exposed to a vestibular stimulation

On the other hand , the child would be seeking the vestibular sense a lot. This is visible as excessive jumping , or spinning

This means the child is hyposensitive to vestibular stimulations and therefore seeking them to regulate themselves

Evaluation of the sensory system can be performed by trained and certified occupational and /or physical therapists

Now when you opt for sensory integration therapy , what is the therapist actually doing for your child with vestibular dysfunction

Goal 1 :provide the child with sensory information so that they can organise the central nervous system

Goal 2: to assist the child in inhibiting and /or modulating the sensory information

Goal 3: to encourage the child to have a more organised response when presented with sensory stimuli /information

It is important to opt for sensory integration therapy so that child can experience good sensory system function, develop play skills , self regulate and have less challenging behaviours

This blog ‘s main focus is to aware parents about vestibular sensory system. It is about what happens when you see , hear and opt for sensory integration sessions for vestibular sense 

Thankyou

Creative Efforts and Swing Lover – Heena Sahi

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Creative representation of my blog is beautifully done by talented CreativeSaathi associate Dhrov Tikoo.

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