Proprioception

Proprioception

Proprioception is our sense of body awareness. It helps us know where our body parts are and how they are moving—even when we can’t see them. This sense is located in our muscles and joints. 

Proprioception helps us: 

• Know how much pressure to use when doing tasks 

• Feel resistance (like during massage or pushing objects) 

• Stay calm and organised when we feel overwhelmed 

You cannot give too much proprioceptive input—it is always helpful.

Body Awareness

When you close your eyes, you still know where your hands and feet are. You don’t need to look at a spoon to know where your mouth is. That’s proprioception at work. 

It helps us: 

• Understand where our body parts are in relation to each other and other people 

• Know how much force to use when moving or holding things 

• Coordinate our movements

How It Works

Proprioceptive receptors are found in: 

• Muscles 

• Tendons (where muscles attach to bones) 

• Ligaments 

• Joint capsules 

• Connective tissue 

These receptors respond to movement and gravity. The brain uses this information to plan and control body movements.

Activities That Provide Proprioceptive Input

These activities help stretch and strengthen muscles: 

• Play wrestling 

• Tug-of-war 

• Hitting punch bags 

• Pulling heavy objects or trolleys 

• Chewing crunchy foods 

Signs of Proprioceptive Difficulties

Compared to others their age, a child may: 

• Move awkwardly or stiffly 

• Seem physically weaker 

• Use too much or too little force (e.g. breaks toys, presses too hard or too lightly when writing) 

• Push, hit, or bump into others without meaning to 

• Avoid or crave jumping, crashing, pushing, pulling, or bouncing 

• Chew on clothing or objects often 

• Always look at their body while moving (e.g. watching feet when walking)

Under-Sensitive

• Stands too close to others 

• Bumps into people or objects 

• Struggles to move around rooms 

Helpful strategies: 

• Place furniture around the edges of the room 

• Use weighted blankets for deep pressure 

• Add coloured tape to floors to show boundaries 

• Teach the “arm’s-length rule” for personal space 

Over-Sensitive

• Has trouble with fine motor skills (e.g. buttons, shoelaces) 

• Moves their whole body to look at something 

Helpful strategies: 

• Offer fine motor activities like lacing boards

When Proprioception Isn’t Working Well

Some children don’t process signals from their muscles and joints properly. They may: 

• Rely on vision to guide movement 

• Struggle with motor planning 

• Have delayed fine and gross motor skills 

• Appear clumsy or uncoordinated 

• Fatigue easily 

• Seem inattentive because they are working hard to control their body 

They may: 

• Break objects by accident 

• Write too lightly or too heavily 

• Lean on furniture or people for support

Seeking Proprioceptive Input

Some children seek extra input because they don’t get enough feedback from their bodies. They may: 

• Rock or bang their heads or backs against furniture 

• Jump on beds or squeeze between furniture 

• Hide under heavy blankets 

• Enjoy being squished or cuddled (on their terms) 

• Push against things 

• Love rough-and-tumble play 

• Sleep better with tightly tucked sheets 

These children often appear clumsy and may be rough with objects or people. They may struggle to control their movements, which can affect sports and other activities. 

Sensory Overload

Sometimes a child’s behaviour may not seem linked to sensory issues. But if they struggle with everyday sensory input, they may experience sensory overload. 

Too much information can cause: 

• Stress 

• Anxiety 

• Physical pain 

This may lead to: 

• Withdrawal 

• Challenging behaviour 

• Meltdowns 

If a child is communicating through behaviour or seems unresponsive, don’t judge them. Small changes to the environment can make a big difference.