visual-spatial & vestibular-sensory processing

There is some good information that would help you in a book I read about Sensory Integration Dysfunction called “The Out of Sync Child”. I believe visual-spatial is depth perception, like how far a car or a pencil is from you. Vestibular-sensory is knowledge of where your body is in the environment, like walking into walls because you didn’t feel that your body was that close, or falling over curbs. It has been a year since I read the book so I may have gotten some of this wrong but I would recommend the book.

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Visual-spatial can be the perception of what fits into what spaces—like when one is moving furniture and looking to put things into spaces of certain sizes. It can be the perception of angle of lines or shapes. People who don’t do this well often don’t visualize well when they read, either. (Not all, but many. I don’t know why.) It can judging distances, too.

Vestibular has much to do with balance and is connected to both auditory system and visual system. You know that feeling when you are at a stop light on a hill and the car next to you rolls back and you feel like you’re moving, too (but you aren’t)? Your vestibular section is what works with this. There is an association on vestibular disorders, or used to be one.

I’ve lost most of this stuff—been too long since we worked on it.

Get your medical dictionary out. Then, visit some sites by doing a Google search.

My son had both these dysfunctions. He never did do really well on Object Assembly and still doesn’t do adult puzzles or tangrams well.

These are different problems than being in sync with music. It is the world of O.T.’s. Does he have post-rotary nystagmus? (My son did, so just curious. Means that his eyes rapidly shift back & forth after being swiveled for a time.)

I believe IM would help.

My youngest does not have vestibular disorder but he does have poor poor proprioceptive abilities which is the main issue that got him diagnosed sensory integration disordered.
He is way out of balance or was. The things described above definitely describe him. He is also auditory processing disability.

His OT after doing a year of OT decided he should try IM. It did make a difference. And an OT does this program.

He has much more balance,can gauge where his body is in space,well enough to really be into skateboarding! He couldn’t even stand on one before. Now he is doing tricks.

There are some exercises for this in a book I’ve been using this summer. It’s called “Developing Your Child for Success” by Dr. Lane. It’s reasonably priced and easy to use…just requires regular commitment and organization.

Also an OT I talked with on the phone recommended a simple exercise. Have your child swing (like a swing at the park or if you have a swing set even better!) and practice throwing a ball in a bucket. We haven’t done this yet, but it sounds fun!

I was thinking the lack of it was an indicator. My son does NOT get dizzy-I read in one of the SI books that this is common in LD kids. He was an avid sit and spin user in early years and now loves roller coasters. Ive thought of it as craving what he needs

Ive never followed through on this path however(there are so many possible paths!)

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My son has this. The SI OT recommended IM for this and other things.

Either way you are heading in the right direction. Get a consult from a sensory integration occupational therapist. Preferrably one who knows something about IM.

I pay $45.00/30 min. for my daughter to swing and throw things in a bucket. :-)
It works.

and toss the bones in bucket. That would be extra for the dinner…

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