Signs and Symptoms of Proprioceptive Input Dsyfunction

Does your child play too rough? Do they climb things and jump off? Does your child crash into things or fall down a lot? Are you worried that your child is participating in risky behavior and may hurt themselves physically? If you answered yes to these questions your child may be under-responsive to proprioceptive input or have a proprioceptive dysfunction. You can read about my personal experience in the article Under-responsive to proprioceptive input: Understanding my wild child.

When you pick up an item your proprioceptive system tells your muscles how much force they should use. In children with proprioceptive dysfunctions, they are not receiving or interpreting the message correctly. This may cause them to pick up an object with such force that the object breaks.

Is my child under-responsive to proprioceptive input or do they have a proprioceptive dysfunction?

In retrospect I have identified behaviors my son exhibited that pointed to a proprioception problem.

He played too rough with other children. His preschool complained that he would often push or crash into his classmates. Early on he also bit other children. This was after he could communicate verbally so it did not make sense at the time.

When he created art he would press down on the pencil or crayon so hard that it would sometimes break. Even with guidance he grasped the writing utensil very tightly and pressed very hard.

When he knew he was in trouble and we were trying to talk to him about his behavior he would grind his teeth, rock back and forth, shake his head with excessive force, and do anything but sit still. This would infuriate me because I felt that he was not being serious or listening. Something I have learned is that people commonly seek out proprioceptive input to avoid other uncomfortable sensations. You may find yourself doing this if you clench your fists or tighten your shoulders when you hear a grating noise.

My son would pick and chew at his fingers until they were sore and bleeding. He chewed endlessly on the side of his crib as an infant.

Climbing objects and jumping off was also a problem. I cannot tell you how many times my heart dropped when I walked into his room to find he had managed to get on top of his dresser.

Other possible signs that your child has issues with proprioceptive input are:

Wearing tight clothing or enjoying being wrapped up very tightly.

Excessively chewing on non-food items such as toys, clothes, themselves, and other children.

Showing an insatiable need for physical activity.

Difficulty coordinating their body to move in an appropriate way. This can manifest itself in difficulties riding a bike, hitting a ball, running, etc.

Exhibiting clumsy behavior such as crashing into people or objects, tripping, and falling often.

Problems balancing.

Appearing to be limp or slumping.

I am not an occupational therapist. I am just a mother whose son has been diagnosed to be under-responsive to proprioceptive input. I am sharing what I have learned but this should in no way take the place of a proper evaluation by a professional occupational therapist.

Sources:

The Sensory Processing Disorder Resource Center