All about gravitational insecurity
Ashton Plotts, OTR/L
Gravitational insecurity is a phenomenon experienced by children who have a heightened fight or flight response to a variety of different postures and activities. In this post we will discuss gravitational insecurity in further detail, what it means, the signs, and some interventions and strategies to help.
What is Gravitational Insecurity?
Gravitational Insecurity is a fearful or anxious reaction to non-threatening movements such as changes in head position, not having both feet on the floor, or movements requiring balance. Children experience this due to poor sensory integration that involves an overreactive vestibular response. This means that they misinterpret movement as threatening which triggers a “fight or flight” nervous system response. Inner ear organs are responsible for detecting movement and gravity for perceived vestibular input. Therefore, repeated ear infections or other inner ear problems can lead to abnormal vestibular system responses, but this is not always the case.
Signs of Gravitational Insecurity:
Some of the behaviors you may observe if your child is experiencing gravitational insecurity are as follows:
Fear of heights
Difficulty or resistance to walking on stairs or escalators
Resistance to being upside-down
Avoidance of high playground equipment/climbing
Signs of distress when going from standing up position to a lying down position (ex: during diaper change)
Car or motion sickness
General slow, cautious movements rather than age-appropriate risk-taking
Difficulty jumping with both feet off the ground/jumping from elevated surface
Resistance crawling or walking on uneven surfaces (i.e. stepping up and down a curb, walking a balance beam)
Cries or resists having their head tilted back during a bath
Dislike of swings or other moving toys (i.e. rocking horse, toy car, etc.)
Don’t like being picked up
Some tips for parents/intervention strategies:
The most important thing to remember is not to force any movements that induce a strong emotional response. These movements are anxiety-inducing and bad experiences can lead to further aversion. It may be hard for you to understand why, but these kids feel like they have lost awareness of where their body is in space. In therapy we will work on various sensory integration techniques and gradually introduce new movement experiences. Here are some things you may see us work on or that you can work on at home:
Back and forth movements rather than circular. Swinging back and forth has a more calming effect on the body.
Place a stool underneath your child’s feet during toileting, mealtime, or school for increased security
Give them added weight to make them feel more secure to the ground such as ankle weights or carrying bean bags
Slide or swing with your child in your lap
Role-playing or modeling positive sensory experiences