I really think it is hugely beneficial that individuals with issues of dizziness, balance, swaying etc get OT support. I had to pay privately to get mine just to have it in black and white (evidence for school etc) and an action/recommendation plan, by requesting an emotional and sensory assessment.
This is a section from an article I downloaded last year, Paeds OT pre-referral for a UK NHS trust, not medical advice but to highlight that with support there are little things that can be incorporated in day to day life that will help us and sensory input is a key ingredient. Many may be using some of these strategies.
How might an individual present who is over-sensitive/responsive to vestibular input?
These individuals may present with the following behaviours:
• Hesitates or avoid walking downstairs.
• Gets dizzy easily.
• Gets car sick, even on short trips.
• Dislike of Rollercoasters or theme park rides.
• Dislikes climbing frames, trampolines.
• Dislikes jumping up and down or off heights, swinging, leaning backwards.
• Seek physical support from adults, holding hand when using stairs etc.
• Poor balance (static and dynamic).
• Difficulty scanning or reading.
• Poor hand eye-coordination.
• Appears to control environment to reduce vestibular input.
There is some overlap with how an individual may present with some similarities across the areas.
The easiest way to distinguish between over or under-responsiveness is that an individual who is over-responsive will avoid and resist vestibular input or movement.
However, an individual who is underresponsive will seek out and will enjoy moving constantly or spinning.
Vestibular Strategies Calming Strategies – Over-Responsive Slow/One Direction Movement:
• Linear rocking – rocking horse, chair, zuma chair.
• Slow predictable movemnet in linear pattern – e.g. use of park swing.
• Swimming in a planned liner pattern.
• Trampoline – rhythmic slow up and down. • Prone (on stomach) rolling backwards and forwards over a therapy/gym ball.
• Keeping objects at or above waist heigh to prevent unnecassary bending, e.g. higher school draw, books and other resources.
• When travelling in a car or other transport to position so can see out of the front of the vehicle, e.g. front or middle seat of the car.
• Use of a firm supportive seat that doesn’t tip to maintain feeling of safety and support for the individual, feet fully supportive flat on ground or on a stable footboard.
• Altering P.E. to reduce vestibular activities or allowing to participate in different/alternate activites if unable to avoid. Avoiding activities where feet are off the floor or rolling.
• Allow individual time when completing stairs, allowing to go first or last in line of others. To use quieter stair cases is possible. • To have a hand rail for individuals to use when ascending or descending stairs.
• Allow individual to leave class earlier at busy times of the day e.g between class change over, lunch-times.
Alerting Strategies – Under-Responsive:
• Promoting gymnastics, yoga, pilates – forward rolls, positions that promote regular changes in positon and challenge centre of gravity through moving head out of midline. • Use of wobble cushion (Move’n’sit cushion)
• Placing objects nearer to the ground or below waist level to encourgae bending (moving head out of midline).
• Movement breaks – allowing to stand up and alter position or to move around the room. It may be that a child needs prompting to do so by providing with a task e.g. to put something in the bin, or collect in school books at the end of the session.
• Jumping on a trampoline, faster movements. • Running, jumping, skipping, hopping, climbing etc. • Use of park or school apparatus – swings, slides, climbing frames. • Rolling over or bouncing in a seated positon on a therapy/gym ball.
• Wheelbarrow walks, walking on all fours.
• Promoting any physcial activities in and out of school – football, sports, swimming.
*Caution: Do not complete unless competent or trained as altering vestibular input can have lasting effects after completed. If vestibular strategies are implemented they should be followed by calming or proprioception activity to lower arousal and regulate.
Littlecook I would think you would fall into the over-sensitive/responsive group, so you could try one or two activites for a short interval (5 mins) followed by a calming/prioprioception activity, an OT can help you develop some strategies if not competent/confident.
