Sensory Diet: Proprioceptive Input

One of the things I try to work on with my son is feeding his senses. He is a sensory seeker. What does that mean?

Hiking is another great way to feed a lot of senses: the cool winter air, the sound of the leaves rustling, the sight of the branches blowing in the breeze...plus the proprioceptive input of constant movement. 

It means:

• he has a high need to touch and be touched
• he needs to move...a lot
• he likes to feel stuff against his body

We all know about our five senses: hearing, touch, taste, smell and sight, but did you know there are actually other senses as well?

Specifically, there are the senses that take in proprioceptive and vestibular input. Those are some big, fancy words, and I didn't come across them all on my own. My son sees a wonderful occupational therapist (OT) who helps him and teaches me how to help him. So what do those big words mean?

Proprioception refers to how we feel our bodies in relation to the space around us. It's why you can close your eyes and touch your finger to your nose (usually...put the wine down!). You can think of proprioception as body awareness, a sense of yourself in relation to the people around you and the objects in the room. It's why we don't walk into walls or bump into furniture.

My son has a high need to feed this sense. It's the reason that when I sit on the couch next to him, he immediately zips himself to my side like we are made of Velcro. It's the reason he loves to snuggle with his grandmother, and it's the reason he doesn't just walk over and sit on the couch, he runs to it and throws himself against it. 

Now that I recognize his need for this type of input, I try to feed it when I see him seeking out his own proprioceptive input. So when he starts throwing himself against the couch, I'll say, 

"Hey, Jack...let's:

• do some frog hops
• walk like a crab
• jump off the couch
• do a wheelbarrow walk

These are just some examples of how to feed that sense of proprioception. I also take him to bounce houses places or trampoline parks. These places are great for winter time proprioceptive input. In the summer, all we need is a park. Running, jumping, hanging from monkey bars, playing tag with friends. All of those feed that same sense.

In addition, Jack likes to touch things. So a soft blanket gets rubbed against cheek, he held a quartz crystal during his last chiropractic appointment and he really liked touching its cool, smooth surface. He uses a weighted blanket at night made of soft fleece with a silky edge. He pets my hair.

He also constantly chews things, and while I admonish him over and over again to stop chewing on his clothes and offer the silicone chewy bead necklaces he has, I haven't had luck discouraging that particular habit. We are both works in progress.  

Obviously, all kids have a need for these activities and I've never met a mom who didn't have a better day after her kids were able to release energy in these ways. Plus these are all forms of basic exercise, so they are super important for any kid to learn how to be healthy and fit. We should all encourage our kids to run around in the sunshine and fresh air or jump at the trampoline part. But when you have a sensory seeker, you know the difference between a regular kid who needs to run around and play and your kid who needs just that extra bit of everything.

This post ended up being longer than I anticipated...so check back in a day or two for a follow-up on what vestibular input is all about. 

One of the best things about a sensory diet is that it feeds your little seekers senses before they have that strong need...the need that might manifest in rambunctious, disruptive behavior. Basically it amounts to the old adage...an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.