Proprioceptive System

This is the information we get through our muscles, tendons and joints. It tells us where we are in space and how much pressure we need to exert in a task. For example how hard to kick a ball to get it from one place to another, or how much pressure we should use when touching someone to get attention.

An individual with a poor proprioceptive system:

• Often does not know his own strength.
• May not know how hard to throw a ball and is often in trouble for pushing or hitting when there was no intention to hurt.
• May find it hard to judge the speed of other people"s movements or anticipate the movement direction and speed of a ball.
• These children in particular may have poor motor planning. That is, they may have trouble initiating or planning a movement. They may need to be guided through a new movement by having their limbs moved through the movement for them so they sense how it feels. They may need to practise a new task more times than others before it becomes automatic for them.