The proprioceptive system refers to components of muscles, joints, and tendons that provide a person with a subconscious awareness of body position.
When proprioception is functioning efficiently, an individual’s body position is automatically adjusted in different situations; for example, the proprioceptive system is responsible for providing the body with the necessary signals to allow us to sit properly in a chair and to step off a curb smoothly. It also allows us to manipulate objects using fine motor movements, such as writing with a pencil, using a spoon to drink soup, and buttoning one’s shirt. Some children can have a difficult time registering proprioceptive information and they may excessively seek it out.
Possible Signs of Proprioceptive processing deficits:
- Clumsiness
- A tendency to fall
- Minimal crawling when young or difficulty crawling
- Difficulty manipulating small objects (buttons, snaps),
- Eating in a sloppy manner
- Resistance to new motor movement activities
- Constantly jumping, crashing, and stomping
- Loves to be squished and get “bear hugs”
- Prefers tight clothing, loves rough-housing, may be aggressive with other children
- Bumps into things often
- Moves in a stiff and/or uncoordinated way
- Doesn’t know how hard to push on an object
- Misjudges the weight of an object
- Breaks objects often
- Rips paper when erasing pencil marks
- May tire easily