What is Our Vestibular System? Why is it Key to Education for Learners with PMLD?

Think of the learner who tenses and cries every time the hoist lifts them, or shuts down on the bus tail-lift. Or the one who never stops rocking. Both may be telling you something about their vestibular system, the sense that tells us where our body is and how our head is moving.

It does a lot more than keep us balanced. It helps with muscle tone, posture, following things with our eyes and making sense of sound. When it isn't working well, a learner can spend all their energy just feeling secure in their chair. You'll learn to tell whether a learner is over- or under-responsive to movement. Then you can give them what they can't go looking for themselves: rocking together to music, swinging, and trays of different surfaces for bare feet.

You'll also see what to record, so an occupational therapist has something useful to work with.