Wiggle, writhe and whine...

As I learn more about the neurodevelopmental approach to dealing with learning differences, I am amazed at the tools we have to help our little ones.
If you are a teacher in a classroom, or a teacher to your own littles at home, or a parent who helps your littles with homework in the evenings, you may be faced with a student who is fidgety and squirmy.  A child's ability to sustain attention, or focus, is a basic learning requirement.  When a child cannot sit still or focus, he/she cannot effectively learn.

The vestibular system is located within the inner ear.  It is a tiny system of canals that are fluid filled and lined with hair-like structures.  However, it is vital for marking your position in space (knowing where you are), balance, attention, motor coordination, the ability to scan with your eyes to read, and emotional regulation.  ALL of these are issues for my child - we often have very wriggly, unfocused, crying, writhing on the floor moments in our day.

The good news is that the greatest stimulus for the vestibular system is movement of the head.  When the head and neck move, so does the fluid in the canals.  The fluid pushes those little hair-like structures and activate a neurochemical reaction that is transmitted to the brain.  The brain then registers the movement of your head in space.  And, helps maintain a level of alertness, coordinate vision and hearing, and  provide better posture and stability.  ENGLISH, PLEASE: move head = stimulate brain.

So, if you have a child in your care like I do with some of these symptoms:
slumping in seat (poor posture)
tipping chair back, falling off chair
moving all the time, or seldom moving at all
fidgeting, having trouble sitting still
bumping into walls or other children (general clumsiness)
trouble judging "personal space"
skipping lines when reading
trouble kicking or catching balls
overly emotional

you may have a child with a possible vestibular dysfunction.

How you can help:  (the fun part!)

Simple ideas include providing a variety of seats that allow movement - ball chairs, rocking chairs, or taking breaks to dance, sway, work on a balance beam, stand on one leg or do a yoga pose.
Another way is to sit the child on a spinning chair (an office chair, bar stool, etc) and spin the child with their head dipping down and up, in alternating directions at varying speeds.

And don't forget breaks outside!   Swinging, merry go rounds, hanging upside down on the bars - all excellent exercises for the vestibular system.

I'm having a blast learning all this stuff!