What is Proprioception?

Proprioception is the awareness of your body in space. It is the ability to sense and position yourself in relation to objects around you. This awareness also controls force and pressure¹. For example, how firmly you hold your pen or how hard or soft you step on the floor.

There are three main elements of proprioception, also known as the “ABC of proprioception”²:

• • Agility: The ability to move quickly and easily.

• • Balance: The ability to evenly distribute your weight to remain upright and steady.

• • Coordination: The ability to move smoothly and efficiently.

Here are 10 signs your child might be seeking proprioception input:

• • Appears clumsy (walking into objects, knocking things over, and dropping things).

• • Banging objects (their hands on the desk or their jaw with their hand).

• • Misjudging personal space (standing too close to others).

• • Often running, jumping, or stamping heavily.

• • Poor balancing (falling easily).

• • Poor coordination (struggling to walk in a straight line).

• • Poor posture and slouching.

• • Inability to sense their own strength (playing too rough with others, holding a pencil too tight, or excessive pressure when writing—ripping the paper).

• • Throwing themselves heavily onto the floor.

• • Bites or chew objects such as clothes, pencils, or even their fingers.

Knowing what signs to look for can help identify proprioception issues early on. If some of these 10 signs look familiar, your child might have impaired proprioception (body awareness). However, always consult a health care professional for further support and advice.

The following activities offer intensive input to the muscles and joints of the body. This input helps your child to become aware of themselves (and other objects) in their environment.

• • Activities that work against gravity (weight-bearing activities). For example, crawling, jumping, planking, hanging on monkey bars and climbing on playground equipment.

• • Push and pull activities (resistance training). For example, push-ups, pushing the grocery cart and pushing or pulling a box of toys.

• • Cardiovascular activities. For example, running, jumping and swimming.

• • Heavy lifting, like carrying books.

• • Deep pressure such as tight bear hugs, tight clothing or weighted items such as heavy blankets

Please remember every child is different, and what may work for one doesn’t necessarily work for your child (or vice versa). These are merely examples and ideas for you to try. See what works best for your child and include those activities in their daily lives.

When I talk about food in this section, I’m more specifically referring to oral motor activities that help with proprioception input. Oral motor activities refer to the movement—and input to the muscles and joints—of the mouth, jaw, tongue, lips, and cheeks.

Here are four ways to increase oral cavity awareness:

• • Eating crunchy food, like celery or baby carrots.

• • Drinking a very thick smoothie using a straw.

• • Chewing gum or an oral massager.

• • Other oral activities such as blowing bubbles.

Other than food textures and activities, supplementation can also play a role. However, nutrients are best absorbed naturally through foods, so it is crucial to discuss supplementation with your doctor or nutritionist first.

References

1. Centre for Autism Middletown [Internet]. Proprioceptive – best practice. Connecticut, USA; [no date]. Available from: https://sensory-processing.middletownautism.com/sensory-strategies/strategies-according-to-sense/proprioceptive/ (Accessed: December 8, 2022).
2. Norris, C.M., 2011. CHAPTER 5—Exercise therapy. Managing Sports Injuries (Fourth Edition). pp. 84–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-7020-3473-2.00009-5
3. Marco, E.J., Hinkley, L.B., Hill, S.S. and Nagarajan, S.S., 2011. Sensory processing in autism: a review of neurophysiologic findings. Pediatric research, 69(8), pp.48-54. https://doi.org/10.1203/PDR.0b013e3182130c54