Nursery World - Sensory Processing: Part 2

Development of the vestibular sense – and addressing over- and under-sensitivity – is explored by Anne O’Connor and Dr Kath Dickinson in part two of this new series

Download the PDF of this article

Although not the first sense that we tend to think of, our vestibular sense is conceivably the most important and fundamental to our well-being. If it is working well, we hardly give it a thought, but if it is not working as well as it needs to, or indeed is working overtime, then we really ‘know about it’ – even if we don’t actually know what it is or what it does!

WHAT IS IT?

Put simply, our vestibular sense is our internal sense of balance. More accurately, however, it is a complex ‘system’ for balance that is essential for controlling important aspects of everyday life and our interactions with the world around us, such as posture, alertness, concentration and stillness, as well as balance (Connell and McCarthy 2014).

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included