Want to know if your child has poor vestibular function? Like right now? Read on to learn how you can tell if your child’s brain is disorganized and their cortex is doing the job of the lower brain levels.
The lower brain levels are the survival functions, they allow us to be able to navigate the world safely. These lower brain levels can be very underdeveloped, mildly underdeveloped or only a little.
Why Your Child May Be Working Too Hard To Learn
Depending on the degree of underdevelopment, the cortex will take over when necessary. When this happens, the cortex is not free to do higher level processes and your child is not able to work at their optimal potential.
If you want to have an idea of how strong your child’s vestibular system is there are few exercises or challenges you can have them do.
1) Balancing On One Leg
Balance is part of vestibular function. When the lower brain levels are well developed, balance should be relatively strong and effortless. If it is not well developed, then the cortex in the higher brain levels will take over the job that the lower brain levels are not doing well enough.
The problem is that it is not the cortex’s job to manage balance. You can determine if your child is using their lower brain levels or the cortex to balance quite easily.
Once they lift one leg off the ground, with their hands on their shoulders, ask them a question like ‘what did you do at school today?’ or ‘what did you do last weekend?’
When the Cortex Has To Take Over
If your child starts to wobble or puts their foot down when they start to answer, you can be assured that they are relying on their cortex to compensate for the weak vestibular function.
Since the cortex cannot balance and concentrate, it has to choose between one activity or the other. If your child is able to balance and answer questions, this means the vestibular system in their lower brain levels are well-developed.
The Vestibular System is So Much More than Balance
Strong vestibular function is necessary since balance, coordination, eye movement and control, focus and feeling secure in our environment is the role of the vestibular system. This is because this system creates most of the input to our muscles for movement.
So often moms see their child’s brilliance, but their child’s weak connections and brain disorganization is preventing a child from allowing their full potential to shine – and to be working much harder than they should be.
If you want to learn more about my coaching programs that help children move past limitations and rise above learning and behaviour difficulties so they can be happier more confident kids–contact me for a free Clarity Call.
In Health & Wholeness,
Lorraine
