- Home |
- Intro |
- What they say |
- What you see |
- What's behind it |
- How we help |
- Next steps |
- Contact us
The Sound Learning Centre
Call us for
a free telephone consultation
020 – 8882 1060
Contact us
Select for quick navigation
Find out the underlying causes of learning, sensory, developmental and
emotional difficulties and what you can do
about it.
Outreach Programmes:
Scotland
Ireland
Middle East
Meet us and learn more about our work.
Our next Open House event in London is on Wednesday 17 September 2008 at 7.30 pm.
Please call us now to reserve your FREE place.
Our next SenseAbility course is on Thursday 25 September 2008.
Our next EASIE course is on Thursday 27 November 2008.
Please call us now to reserve your place.
Read our Newsletters
(in Adobe Reader PDF format)
Winter 2006
Spring/Summer 2006
Autumn 2006
or call us now for a
FREE printed copy.
Job Opportunities
The Sound Learning Centre
Call us for
a free telephone consultation
020 – 8882 1060
Contact us
The Sound Learning Centre
12 The Rise, London N13 5LE, England, tel: +44 (0)20 8882 1060, fax: +44 (0)20 8882 1040
e-mail: info@thesoundlearningcentre.co.uk, website: www.thesoundlearningcentre.co.uk
copyright 1994-2007
"Helping children and adults with learning and sensory difficulties improve their performance"
You are here: Home / Intro / What you see / Balance / Vestibular
What you see
Balance / Vestibular
“The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in
your life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can do
that, and live that way, you are really a wise man”
Euripides
The balance or vestibular system is located in the inner ear and its primary purpose is to check the position and motion of our head in space, allowing us to stay upright and move with confidence. However, directly or indirectly, the vestibular system influences nearly everything we do. It is the unifying system in our brain that modifies and coordinates information received from other sensory systems.
Most doctors or health professionals do not routinely assess the sense of balance. It is, however, one of the most common underlying causes of difficulties of clients that come to our Centre. The balance system can be over or under-sensitive, picking up even the smallest movement or having difficulty sensing very distinct movements, and this can have a profound influence on behaviour and performance.
The balance system not only balances the body, but most of the senses
In the first instance you often can get a reasonable evaluation of how the sense of balance is performing by simple observations you can make yourself. These can play a key role in uncovering what may lie behind learning, sensory, developmental or emotional difficulties.
Here we outline some typical behaviours that often are the result of the sense of balance not working properly:
 |
Suffers from motion (travel) sickness. |
|
|
Suffers from vertigo. |
|
|
Gets dizzy or nauseous watching things move. |
|
|
Has difficulty maintaining balance. |
|
|
Has difficulty walking on uneven ground. |
|
|
Is clumsy, trips over, bumps into things. |
|
|
Has poor coordination. |
|
|
Likes to follow walls, fences, curbs. |
|
|
Falls out of bed. |
|
|
Needs to fidget, rock or move constantly. |
|
|
Likes to swing, jump or play on a trampoline. |
|
|
Makes hand-flapping or spinning movements. |
|
|
Makes excessive head movements or head bangs. |
|
|
Loves, or hates, funfair rides. |
|
|
Cannot walk out over a pier. |
|
|
Is affected by patterns on wallpaper or carpets. |
|
|
Gets panic attacks. |
|
|
Has agoraphobia. |
|
|
Hates heights. |
|
|
Is fearful of flying. |
|
|
Has Ménière’s disease. |
Each typical behaviour on its own may not be meaningful. However, where there is a cluster of indicators, possibly across a number of senses, and the person has learning, sensory, developmental or emotional difficulties, these can indicate that one or more of the senses are out of balance.
Explore further
Other areas on this website to explore in relation to balance are:
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You will find guidance on what to do next in the Next steps section.
We offer a confidential, no obligation, free telephone consultation – simply call us on 020 – 8882 1060.