Advice and resources : Proprioception (body awareness and body position)
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Sensory processing
The unconscious way our brain takes in information from the environment and our bodies.
Learn moreBalance
Good balance skills help us to correct ourselves, sit, stand, and stay upright in unstable conditions.
Learn moreVestibular (movement) system
The vestibular sense provides us with good posture, balance and movement sensation.
Learn moreHow can we help
Sensory processing
The unconscious way our brain takes in information from the environment and our bodies.
Learn moreBalance
Good balance skills help us to correct ourselves, sit, stand, and stay upright in unstable conditions.
Learn moreVestibular (movement) system
The vestibular sense provides us with good posture, balance and movement sensation.
Learn moreOverview
Proprioception is a sense that helps us understand where our body is and how it is moving. It tells us where different parts of our body are without us having to look. It also helps us know how much strength to use when doing things like picking up a cup or kicking a ball.
When this sense works well, our body makes small adjustments automatically. This helps us move around safely, avoid bumping into things, and stay balanced. For example, it helps us walk around furniture, sit comfortably in a chair, and stop ourselves from falling over.
Proprioception helps us use our hands and fingers for everyday tasks. For example, it helps us hold a pencil, do up buttons, use a spoon, comb our hair, or pick up a glass of water without spilling it.
This sense comes from special sensors in our muscles and joints. These sensors send messages to the brain when we move, stretch, push, or pull our bodies.
Proprioception also helps us stay calm and focused. It helps our brain understand how active our body is, which can make it easier to pay attention and take part in daily activities.
Our video covers body awareness and why it is important to include heavy work activities as part of a child's day.
What you might see
A child that is struggling with body awareness and body position might:
- Appear heavy handed, over forceful and perhaps damage toys unintentionally
- Walk into others while looking ahead
- Trip over or fall from chairs
- Have poor fine motor skills compared to peers, or difficulties with precision movements
- Have poor body awareness, such as difficulty assuming postures in P.E.
- Have poor use of force when writing, either too much or not enough
How you can help
There are a number of ways that you can help a child with their body awareness and body position.
- Involve them in lots of activities that involve effort such as playing tug of war: the proprioceptive system is stimulated by pulling or pushing and heavy work activities.
- Encourage them to wear a rucksack.
- Involve them in activities such as helping with jobs around the house: help with the gardening, pushing a trolley or wheelbarrow or helping with heavy doors.
- Give them rewards for helping: the activities listed above can be very tiring, so make them motivating so your child can participate in them little and often.
- Encourage activities that will help them such as swimming, trampolining, playground equipment, jumping, running, cycling, kneading dough or modelling with clay.
- Create a ‘fidget-box’ of squeezy or stretchy toys (such as Blu Tack and theraputty) and allow your child to choose an object when they’re finding it hard to concentrate or calm down.
- Encourage them to do jumping and star jumps.
- Get them to do chair push-ups where they sit on their hands and push up with their arms to raise their bottom from the seat.
- Get them to place their hands on their head and push down for a slow count of five.
- Get them to place their hands together in a prayer position and push their palms together for a slow count of five.
Related services
Occupational Therapy Service for children and young people
- Children & young people
Help for children and young people up to the age of 19 who have difficulties doing everyday activities, such as dressing and feeding.
Occupational Therapy Service for children and young people: Go to service