Proprioception is the sensory system that notices joint position and the state of muscles (flexed or extended). The proprioception system is important for motor planning, force grading, and knowing where you body is in relation to your environment. Is is seen as a foundational sensory system, upon which many treatments and interventions take place.

A child with proprioceptive craving may present as: Fidgety, Constantly jumping, skipping, moving, crashing, climbing, Wants to wear tight clothing, Touchy towards others (likes bear hugs and squeezes), Likes rough house play, Climbs on furniture, Sits on legs/feet while in a chair, Clenches jaw or grinds teeth, Likes small/tight spaces

A child with proprioceptive underresponsivity may present as: Write with little or too much pressure on paper, Bumps into furniture when walking around the room or cafeteria, Clumsy, lacks coordination, Chews on the ends of pencils/pens, clothing, or straws, Slumps or leans on desk or table

A child with proprioceptive overresponsivity may present as: Flinch or become upset at accidental touch, Poor fine motor skills, Becomes anxious in crowded and/or cluttered rooms, Fearful to climb on playground equipment, Lack of interest in sports and/or gym games, Poor attention while seated in class, Poor balance and postural control

Next I’ll show you some activities and accommodations to use with students with proprioceptive dysfunction in school!

Proprioception Classroom Strategies

Classroom activities to address proprioceptive dysfunction are plentiful. However, it’s important that the strategies recommended are appropriate for the classroom environment, easy for the school staff to keep up with, and effective for the child.
Here are just some of the strategies that I use to address differences in proprioceptive modulation in the classroom.

·      Theraband or bungee cord to chair legs

·      Seating adaptations (allow to stand or sit in chair in alternative way)

·      Sit on carpet square or on poly dot

·      Chewy pencil toppers

·      Tape boundary on floor around desk

·      Put chairs on or take off of desks

·      Carry weighted basket or large book for transitions

·      Prone propped for DEAR (silent reading) time

·      Gum/Laffy Taffy/Jerky

·      Table top resistive toys (Legos, cutting thick paper, pop beads/cubes for counting)

·      Hand warm ups before fine motor work (finger pinches & hand squeezes)

·      Weighted lap pad

·      Stress balls/Putty

·      Drink through straws 

Proprioception School Strategies

My goal when implementing sensory strategies in the school environment is always to make them seamless into the school routine. It is important to make the strategies part of a routine and in meaningful activities for the child, such as gym class lunchtime, or pick-up/drop-up. Here are just some of the strategies that I use to address differences in proprioceptive modulation across the school environment.

·      Re-shelve library books

·      Stack gym equipment

·      Hanging and climbing on playground

·      Weighted backpack or basket for transitions

·      Dinosaur stomps or robot walks in hallway

·      Carry lunch tray with weighted bean bags taped to bottom

·      Wall push-ups or yoga poses in bus or lunch lines

·      Hold doors open for classmates and school staff

·      Pull wagon of recess equipment outside

·      Carry books or packages to and from the front office