Balance is the sense of maintaining an appropriate body posture during a static or dynamic activity. Static balance is in which a person maintains a controlled body posture while standing so as not to fall, while dynamic balance relates to riding a bicycle or simply walking.
In toddlers, self regulation and sensory processing are two of the most important building blocks of balance. Self regulation involves regulating one’s alertness levels during different situations and sensory processing involves responding physically to that alertness to mitigate any risk associated with the situation.
How does that relate to balance? Suppose your child is riding a bicycle when a pebble on the road shakes the bicycle, and they start to lose their balance. Your child’s self regulation will prompt them to raise their alertness level to the situation, and their sensory processing skills will help them to steer the bicycle and regain posture to avoid falling off.
Balancing is a vital part of development of gross motor skills for children, and it starts with pediatric therapy in home.
What we recommend
If your toddler has had their first birthday, we recommend getting them a tricycle. A tricycle will help your child develop their gross motor skills in home. It can also help lay the foundation of their sense of balance. Here are some gross motor skills that your child works on while riding a tricycle:
- Improved coordination and balance
- Sense of safety
- Building hand-eye-body coordination
- Sense of independence
- Getting ready to ride a bicycle.
How we help
At Beyond Speech, we understand that the best place to start off with developing a child’s sensory and motor skills is where they feel the most comfortable, at home! That’s why we provide therapy in home, in their natural environment. Just like balancing, there are a lot of other activities that help your child’s overall development, and we can work on them all. If you’re looking to get the best pediatric therapy near you, click here.