My Why - Vestibulotherapy

VestibulOTherapy is an emerging frame of reference, grounded in contemporary neuroscience evidence with supporting theories from OT-Ayres Sensory Integration and vestibular rehabilitation. Through its application, children with vestibular under-registration will experience adequate vestibular activation to generate myelination and develop neuropathways supporting communication and learning.

Through a combination of etiologies, the suspected prevalence of pediatric vestibular dysfunction impacts approximately 3.3 million US children annually, while few receive appropriate diagnosis or treatment (Li et al., 2016). For comparison, the most recent statistics indicate a prevalence rate of 2.3% frequency of autism in US children (Maenner et al., 2021). Delayed maturation of this vital system may be related to increasingly sedentary and low-risk lifestyles or compromise from inner ear functioning. With increasingly sedentary landscapes, evidence-based practice and supporting literature is needed to inform and guide OT practitioners in the identification and application of vestibulotherapies to support children struggling with communication and academic performance. Vestibulotherapy principles will guide therapists in the identification and intervention of delayed vestibular maturation through a combination of clinical and home or classroom-based activities that are embedded into the child’s occupations of play and learning.