Have you heard of Propioceptive sense ?
Well if your answer is yes then “you” must be a sensory seeker
If your answer is no then “your child” must be a sensory seeker
To know who is the sensory seeker actually … please read further 😊
The proprioceptive system is located in our muscles and joints. It provides us with a sense of body awareness and detects and controls the force and pressure applied by our body to our surroundings
Well simply it is this sense that creates awareness that you are dancing , laughing hard c, doing aerobics or yoga.This sense tells you if that hug is comfortable or just hurting
In a child with additional needs related to autism , or adhd or developmental delays , a propioceptive stimuli can be calming when the child is overly stimulated by the environments
Or it can be alerting stimulus when the child is requiring increased sensory stimulation for facilitating learning and attention
Beyond this many children on the spectrum seek propioceptive stimulus or inputs to regulate their emotional and behavioral response too
Important indicators that your child is seeking a propioceptive stimulus
1. Bites or chews the sides of sleeves , neckline of pullovers
2. walking tip toes
3. prefers to stomp feet while walking
4. engages a lot on weight bearing activities that compress joints like swinging , hanging , climbing
5. prefers jumping
6. enjoys rough and tumble play with peers
7. throws self heavily on others or on floor , carpets, crash pads and bean bags
8. holds writing tools too firmly and writes with lot of pressure on paper
9. bangs body parts
10 . hyper etends the joints like locking knees , bending back fingers
Now what could be certain propioceptive activities /games that help to modulate the propioceptive needs of a child /individual
Weight-bearing activities – animal walks , push ups , wheel barrow
Resistance activities– like pushing and pulling (tug of war )
Heavy lifting activities – carrying big and heavy books , heavy laundry bags , grocery cartons
Cardiovascular activities – running , jumping , cycling , jumping or hoping on trampoline
Oral motor games – blowing bubbles , chewing gums , candies
Deep pressure – tight hugs , become a burrito with heavy blanket
Important point is to keep in mind the purpose of using a propioceptive game
If using it to calm a child, Introduce it before a triggering or stressful activity
If using to alert a child who is unresponsive , identify the intsnsces of disengagement and introduce the propioceptive game
This one is for teachers and works best in classrooms
Activities you would love to be part of with your students in the classroom. These can be used as brain breaks too
1. Wall pushes
2. Lifting dumbbells
3. Jumping or jogging on spot
4. Star jumps
5. Jumping jacks
6. Catching and throwing weighted ball
And
7. Bouncing on gym ball
Well I feel whether you are teacher , parent or professional reading this blog , you would definately try doing one of the activity today . So all the best and do share your story with me
Thankyou
Creative Efforts and Bouncing Ball lover – Heena Sahi
Creative representation of my blog is done by supertalented Morpheus Nag.